Profanity

[MysterionMuffles]

Why is it so offensive to some people?

 

I always rationalize it as it is okay to say some swears as long as you don't use them against others. Like my sister last night, said in passing, "oh so that's what they're fucking talking about," and then my mom got on her case for swearing. We asked her why it was so wrong even though my sister wasn't using the profanity against me, my mom got upset and said "well some people might think you are trash."

 

I was so wrapped up in the moment that all I could say was "when you say some people, you just mean you and you're too scared to admit it." When I realized later that the worst part of that interaction was the difference in context. She used the word trash in a deragatory way towards my sister, however implicitly it was, while my sister was using a swear word in passing just to emphasize her sentence.

 

What are your thoughts on swear words? Are they okay to use in the context I believe in it's okay to, or is it never okay and there are many reasons why one shouldn't swear?

[Stefan Molyneux]

In general, I think that profanity is alarming to people because they were punished for using it when they were children, it's just a fear response based on history.

[Wesley]

Personally, I think that people swear too much because they were punished for it and people punish others for swearing because they were punished for it.

 

If things are not psychologically processed, you often get this re-infliction or rebellion position with anything, but this includes swearing.

 

Your mother also told you that it was because others might look down on you guys (and by extension her) so she fears these other people as it is very likely that this profanity censorship was also used against her friend group and family.

[tasmlab]

My preference is use them only when am really fucking angry or have something absolutely fucking hilarious to say.

 

I have three young children, so my wife and I don't tend to curse like we used to.  I do notice that if I"m pumping gas or am out and about the townies where I live pepper so much of their language with it, for no particular emphasis, that they do sound crass and stupid overall.  Maybe it's not JUST the swearing, but it certainly helps.

 

I think your point above is generally right, but if your mom doesn't like it I would extend the respect or kindness to not do it, just as I wouldn't fart or smoke in someone's presence who didn't like it.  Courtesy. 

Wow, every body is posting at once.  

 

As for 'alarming', they are supposed to be by design, yes?  I don't think a parent should punish kids for using them, but it's handy/useful knowledge to be told that they are used for special emphasis or to express shock/alarm/outrage, etc.

[Pepin]

I first began swearing in the 6th grade because I had a friend that did and I wanted to impress him. Not too long after that I found that almost everyone in my class was swearing because of a similar reason, and also wanting to sound more adult. I didn't start swearing really till last year when I started to make certain psychological gains.

 

I've been finding that certain parts of my personality quite like to swear. One part that tends to come out when I am frustrated or angry and will put quite the slew together. Another part of me that tends to be an explainer seems to use swears as a means of in-formalizing.

 

For instance, it might be something like "so physicists had been debating whether light was a particle or a wave for quite some time. Some dude came up with an experiment called the double slit... [short explanation]... and everyone was like "what the fuck""?.

 

In general, I think that profanity is alarming to people because they were punished for using it when they were children, it's just a fear response based on history.

 

I believe I can confirm this theory in regard to myself, though I'd stipulate that I was always apathetic to other people swearing unless it was around children or in other inappropriate contexts. It was a standard I only applied to myself. To my grandmother it just wasn't swears, but also the words "Pokemon", "rock music", and I was of course hit for any sort statements that could be construed as talking back or using rude language.

 

I've never understood the societal contempt even when not swearing.

 

As an aside, I'd rather angry that anything but the light and fluffy form of Christian music was considered to be from the devil. I wasn't able to start listening to music until I was in 8th grade and I missed out on a lot.

[ribuck]

It's always OK to swear, but that doesn't mean it's always a worthwhile thing to do.

 

As a (very broad) generalization, profanity is used more often by those who are less educated. If you swear excessively, some people will form an opinion of you as being less educated and/or less eloquent. This may make them disinclined to spend time listening to what you have to say. It's your call whether or not you care about this.

[PatrickC]

My preference is use them only when am really fucking angry or have something absolutely fucking hilarious to say.

 

My choice too.. It's just an appropriate use of language and discourse related to ones feelings.

[Guest Exceptionalist]

There was this incident when a dad was incarcerated for yousing the term fuck in front of his kids. Yeah the "American Puritan Club" is deep rooted in the USA. The mature rating incorporates language, maybe they should use animal sounds instead to get an teen rating.

 

As a (very broad) generalization, profanity is used more often by those who are less educated.

 

 

That's a widespreaded cliché, like the eloquent Englishman compared to the yunkfood obsessed stupid American guy who allways trash talks and shots anyone who disagrees. Even if it is true, corellation disregards causality. Maybe that's the reason why sophists are able to fool people, cuz using well sounding terms, to sound smart, educated etc., make them to distract from the statements itself.

 

People who think you are trash, just because you like to swear aren't worth hanging arround with.

[Pepin]

Here is a nice video that talks about swearing.

 

[Freeman Stephen]

Fuck modern interpretations of what profane means. Most cunts are profane, not because they swear like motherfuckers but because they are a bunch of gobshites with nothing profound to say.

 

I hope this post doesnt get deleted for being profane!

[ribuck]

I'm glad to see that this board doesn't asterisk out any of those words.

[Culain]

I believe there was a city in the US that was considering passing a law to make swearing illegal. Adam Kokesh got a bunch of spotlight in the media for talking about it.

[Wesley]

I believe there was a city in the US that was considering passing a law to make swearing illegal. Adam Kokesh got a bunch of spotlight in the media for talking about it.

They were going to pass a law to make it a violation where you just get a $20 ticket or something. This was because it technically was a felony, but it was never enforced. Also, near the main business street young kids would hang out in front of the stores and the thought was you could charge them money for every swear word and eventually drive them away.

 

He went and talked to a cop and asked him what swear words were bad and if he could say fuck or shit. The cop basically said that they had the discretion to do whatever he wanted so he arbitrarily didn't arrest him.

 

Later he had a very profane rally that got a bunch of media attention. My favorite part was that he had a voluntaryist shirt where it was a yellow "circle A" where the circle read:

 

people are bad so we need a government made up of people are bad so we need a goverment made up of people

 

 

It was a shirt called circular logic put out by rational apparel, but I can no longer find their website.

 

 

The point is that it wasn't making it illegal, but downgrading it from a felony to a violation. So +1 to statist logic!

[Culain]

I purchased the pink t-shirt from Adam, "Being offended is fucking bullshit" with a middle finger dead in the center.

 

The shirt lasted 2 months before the colour washed away and now it's grey.... T_T

[Bulbasaur]

When I was young, I was very uncomfortable using swear words. I don't really know why, other than feeling like you 'weren't supposed to' and it just wasn't in my vocabulary (inconsistent with my self-image?). I eventually started after it started being weird to be the only one in my peer group who wouldn't swear. 

 

Now, it seems strange to me that we have these forbidden words which evoke such outrage when used in certain contexts. It seems like just another of the persistent irrationalities of history that has survived into modern day, and it strikes me as part of the 'matrix of language' that reinforces authoritarian hierarchies. In the sense that profanity can't be used in 'serious' settings by 'professional' people, so politicians, pundits, academics, and other people in some form of power can create this facade of credibility by refraining from swearing in public. Most of the media I listen to these days involves some degree of swearing (FDR, Joe Rogan, Adam Carolla...), and I see that as a signal that the discussion is probably more real and less contrived. Old media like CNN with a lot of business suits and politically correct language seems increasingly ridiculous.  

 

By the way, one of the rules of this messageboard is "No swearing." That seemed odd to me since Stefan swears on the show, and I wonder if this rule is philosophically sound?

[Culain]

By the way, one of the rules of this messageboard is "No swearing." That seemed odd to me since Stefan swears on the show, and I wonder if this rule is philosophically sound?

 

No, it's just a suggested rule when conversing to promote a better exchange.

 

When speaking many people often use swearwords as "verbal ticks" or a way to place extra emphasis on points.

 

On message boards, there is no direct real time issues so swearing can be completely avoided by spending an extra second to think of a better alternative term. However the swear I used was part of a quotation to build accuracy.

 

It's mostly about the intention of using the term.

[Bulbasaur]

The guidelines do say that "certain civilized rules must be respected", no swearing being first on the list. I would agree that it's rude to direct them at people as insults, but the idea that swearing for emphasis is 'uncivilized' to me is off-putting, for the same reasons I mentioned above. 

[ribuck]

The irony is that when everybody swears for emphasis, it no longer works.

 

So, by definition, swear words will always be words that are not used by everyone.

[Freeman Stephen]

"Its okay to say your pricked your finger, just dont say you fingered your prick" - george carlin

[Aikenrooster]

I curse too much.  I don't realize it, until I hear someone else cursing a bunch, then I realize how bad I do it.  I don't mind it, if someone uses all the words in the dictionary, like me.  But, if you are just cursing, because those are the only words you know, then it sounds silly.

 

I try not to curse around people who I know don't want to hear it, such as my parents and my wife's parents.  It's just trying to show respect.

 

This topic, right here, is probably why I am the way I am.  When I was little it was probably the subject of many of my first questions about religion and government.  LOL.