Where did the idea come from that the truth was less important than someone's feelings?   That's our idea, man. Humans need and crave connection with other humans. The cheapest/easiest way to get that is to seek approval through pleasing them, which means thinking about their feelings. It all stems from a fear of rejection. People produce masks and personas because they fear or know that their honest, genuine self will not be accepted by others. No one submitting to political correctness has decided to take the risk of being truly themselves.