51–60 of 101 posts
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.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
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.
I think there's some value in limiting use of words. Why would you call someone whale leavings? Maybe he cut you off in traffic? Maybe he killed your dog? It can lead to lazy storytelling. As others mentioned, they're like seasoning. They should be used to add weight to a coherent idea, not as a substitute for thought.
The problem is that swearing is losing its strength, since everybody already uses interjects like "f * it" and "wtf" all the time.
And very often they've no idea that they're swearing. 'Oh My God' was insanely popular in the 1990s even amongst people who had no belief in a deity, which really annoyed me even though I don't identify as a Christian. I even remember the non-Human character Kira in Deep Space 9 being assigned it in dialogue, it was really jarring. It's as if it had just been reduced to a sequence of syllables and the writers didn't…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> 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 think the feeling is more a result of the perception. I.e someone forcefully communicates an idea you find painful to think about thus causing you pain. Better to confront the idea - understand and heal the trauma - rather than fixating on the mechanism of how you were reminded of it. You might find that the idea can no longer harm you - much less by someone trying to force it upon you - because you, at that point,…
Forcefully; painful; pain; confront; trauma; harm; force.
Juxtaposed:
Forcefully - persuasively; energetically; vigorously
painful - uncomfortable; awkward; unpleasant
pain - discomfort; uneasy; disquiet
confront - address; meet; handle
trauma - effect; consequence; cause
harm - affect; move; influence
force - influence; change; affect
I say this seeing so much provocative and emotive language in a world where violence is needlessly celebrated and even elevated above accomplishments that further humanity, kindness, compassion, learning...
I have definitely never sworn in my native language, I might have used a soft swear word in English in text a few times just due to my ignorance.
[0] Of course I recognize that xenophobia has more of a concrete "victim".
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…
Sure, it's usually not the word, but the meaning ("intent").
But seriously, if some stranger comes and tells you "fuck off idiot", e.g. in the supermarket isle, then you wont be offended, because you don't "respect" them to begin with?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> 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…
Being offended is a kind of feeling that you have to allow yourself to have. It's solely the responsibility of the person feeling offended, and frankly, I believe it's a sign of immaturity.
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.
The fuck is up with that bullshit anyway?
The problem is that swearing is losing its strength, since everybody already uses interjects like "f * it" and "wtf" all the time.
And very often they've no idea that they're swearing. 'Oh My God' was insanely popular in the 1990s even amongst people who had no belief in a deity, which really annoyed me even though I don't identify as a Christian. I even remember the non-Human character Kira in Deep Space 9 being assigned it in dialogue, it was really jarring. It's as if it had just been reduced to a sequence of syllables and the writers didn't…
OMG is not a swear word though -- it's just an expression of awe/amazement/surprise/etc.
I don’t swear anymore, I read somewhere in the bible, that you should not swear, so I stopped, although I am not a Christian.
Where? I've never heard that being anywhere in the Bible. There is a thing about not taking an oath in vain, but that's not the same as bad words, that's about keep a promise if you make one. (It's too bad the same words "swear" and "oath" is used for both intents.)
Then you haven't look hard enough. E.g.
>But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, ‘Raca,’ (idiot) shall be in danger of the council; but whosoever shall say, ‘Thou fool,’ shall be in danger of hell fire.
MATTHEW 15:11
What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them
MATTHEW 5:22
Or (not as clear):
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to the needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
EPHESIANS 4:29-30: