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Why swearing is good for you

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Re: Why swearing is good for you

#31

Post by Cthulhu_ »

Immortalin wrote: post #17
justratsinacoat wrote: post #7

>While sometimes viewed as lazy or boorish, swearing actually requires substantial verbal facility and skill. When used correctly, in other words, profanity is expressively complicated I'm glad they pointed this out -- as I always say, swearing is the inevitable linguistic crutch of the inarticulate motherfucker. However, this article missed out on one of the more important beneficial aspects of swearing, namely pain…

Is this comment considered as sarcastic or ironic? To be specific, the "inarticulate m *" bit.

I'm pretty sure s/he said "motherfucker". No need to censor swear words / insults, we're adults here, we can use mature language.

Re: Why swearing is good for you

#32

Post by Cthulhu_ »

ue_ wrote: post #10

Earlier today I realised that I had forgotten a train ticket (along with other documents) in a restaurant, so I ended up missing my train because I had to go back and collect my documents. As soon as I realised this was the case, I knew it was too late for me. In the spur of the moment, I shouted "fuck!" and people were looking at me. It felt so right at the time, as if I deserved to swear. My mind had been assailed…

I like to think a bit before swearing at work, so instead of going "it's shit" like ol' Steve did, I prefer "it's suboptimal" or "there's room for improvement". But in a sarcastic tone, which makes it funny. I hope.

Re: Why swearing is good for you

#33

Post by noonespecial »

siliconc0w wrote: post #16

Valorizing language is silly. I remember in like 5th grade they moved the goal posts on us and made 'sucks' a 'bad word'. I was so thoroughly confused. How did a previously okay word become bad? They're tools in a box. They aren't inherently good or bad - the intent and meaning created by them are what matters. I similarly think it should be impossible for a word to offend someone. I think it's possible for meaning t…

I thought that's why they work, and why so many of them poke at religious topics. I need a way to offend someone I've only just met that's guaranteed to work.

Re: Why swearing is good for you

#34

Post by onion2k »

mhurron wrote: post #12

I find it funny an article on swearing is going to be discussed on a site where the general users will deride you and hold you as unprofessional for swearing on it. Perhaps we should have an article on the healing power of humour next.

While HN is publicly searchable I don't imagine many people will swear. It's not only the users here that could read them; it's anyone who Googles your username.

Re: Why swearing is good for you

#36

Post by dspillett »

noonespecial wrote: post #33
siliconc0w wrote: post #16

Valorizing language is silly. I remember in like 5th grade they moved the goal posts on us and made 'sucks' a 'bad word'. I was so thoroughly confused. How did a previously okay word become bad? They're tools in a box. They aren't inherently good or bad - the intent and meaning created by them are what matters. I similarly think it should be impossible for a word to offend someone. I think it's possible for meaning t…

I thought that's why they work, and why so many of them poke at religious topics. I need a way to offend someone I've only just met that's guaranteed to work.

> and why so many of them poke at religious topics

Religion based swearing is more conscious, certainly on the part of the offended, or are at least environmentally primed. Something built up through the conditioning of society.

Out "built in" expletives tend to hark back to a time when our language was far simpler, covering the essentials of survival so more keyed to out physical needs: they are based on reproduction, bodily functions, and fighting.

Re: Why swearing is good for you

#37

Post by AndrewKemendo »

Immortalin wrote: post #17
justratsinacoat wrote: post #7

>While sometimes viewed as lazy or boorish, swearing actually requires substantial verbal facility and skill. When used correctly, in other words, profanity is expressively complicated I'm glad they pointed this out -- as I always say, swearing is the inevitable linguistic crutch of the inarticulate motherfucker. However, this article missed out on one of the more important beneficial aspects of swearing, namely pain…

Is this comment considered as sarcastic or ironic? To be specific, the "inarticulate m *" bit.

Ironic. It's deliberately contrarian and unexpected in the context in which it's presented.

Re: Why swearing is good for you

#38

Post by vacri »

FuckOffNeemo wrote: post #23

My username checks out. Fuckin' oath swearing is good for you. I'm British, raised by an ex-military Grandfather turned Civvy Engineer who ate his cornflakes with a side of profanity and then I. As a young adult, I moved to Australia. I swear alot. Even for fucking Australians. It's the perfect stress release mechanism. 'Why the fuck doesn't that work? Why the fuck DOES that work?'

Well, 'fuck' is a linguistic universal joint - it's probably the most flexible word in the language.

Re: Why swearing is good for you

#39

Post by vacri »

jfoutz wrote: post #8
e40 wrote: post #2

Meh. I swear. In front of my son (now 15). A lot. I was hoping for better arguments for feeling good about my swearing.

This comment, necessarily, has coarse language. When i first started programming i worked with a guy who retired about a year later, Jon. He swore constantly, and was extremely colorful in his mastery of that particular skill. One day I asked Jon about it, he told me a story from when he was much younger. He was leaving the house for work, with the suit and briefcase and everything, his son was 5 or 6 and had slept i…

This is what gets me with some 'anti-swearers' though - the concern is on the taboo word, not the taboo intent. "A steaming hairy flaming pile of whale's leavings" is not swearing, but is saying exactly the same thing. Same intent, but not with the taboo word, though.

Re: Why swearing is good for you

#40

Post by mistaken »

whynaut wrote: post #20
siliconc0w wrote: post #16

Valorizing language is silly. I remember in like 5th grade they moved the goal posts on us and made 'sucks' a 'bad word'. I was so thoroughly confused. How did a previously okay word become bad? They're tools in a box. They aren't inherently good or bad - the intent and meaning created by them are what matters. I similarly think it should be impossible for a word to offend someone. I think it's possible for meaning t…

> I similarly think it should be impossible for a word to offend someone. I think it's possible for meaning to offend and really only if you respect the person enough to provide some weight to that meaning. This strikes me as curious, as offense is a feeling, and thus not much "thinking" must be involved. If by 'should be impossible' you mean everyone should not allow themselves to be offended, that is a very differe…

I agree; bad words are bad because they have a negative feeling or concept associated with them (fear, disgust, racism etc..). They work on an emotional level, so you must make a conscious decision not to become offended even if the intent behind the words weren't hostile towards you.
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