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NASA had to train Apollo 11's astronauts to not use profanity (2019)

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Re: NASA had to train Apollo 11's astronauts to not use profanity (2019)

#21

Post by wat10000 »

john_strinlai wrote: post #5

> Dr. Larry Poland, president of the non-denominational Miami Bible College, contacted NASA and President Richard Nixon to complain about the profuse profanity from the Apollo 10 crew, demanding they apologize for their behavior. despite my best efforts, i have never been able to understand why or how swear words are inherently offensive. it just does not click with me. a request like this just seems absolutely ridic…

A significant chunk of the population thinks they'll get tortured for eternity if they do it too much, and finds it distressing to be exposed to it as a result.

Re: NASA had to train Apollo 11's astronauts to not use profanity (2019)

#22

Post by RealityVoid »

mholt wrote: post #10
john_strinlai wrote: post #5

> Dr. Larry Poland, president of the non-denominational Miami Bible College, contacted NASA and President Richard Nixon to complain about the profuse profanity from the Apollo 10 crew, demanding they apologize for their behavior. despite my best efforts, i have never been able to understand why or how swear words are inherently offensive. it just does not click with me. a request like this just seems absolutely ridic…

Using profanity indicates a weak vocabulary. A lack of discipline. A degree of unrefinement unbecoming of astronauts representing the "best" of humanity and their country. Depending on the type of profanity it can divide societies by reinforcing social schisms/prejudices. Such words typically cluster around areas of cultural discomfort such as religion, sex, and hygiene, causing polarizing emotional reactions. It's b…

> Using profanity indicates a weak vocabulary. A lack of discipline. A degree of unrefinement unbecoming

Says you. I think not swearing obviously indicates a weaker vocabulary since there's a lot of things you can't or won't say.

Of course, swear words can be offensive if you're their target, and I don't really enjoy that side. But they are _very_ effective in communicating frustration, anger, surprise. I think using them brings a bit of spice to life and a well placed "Fuck!" can feel extremely cathartic and... dare I say... pleasant.

Re: NASA had to train Apollo 11's astronauts to not use profanity (2019)

#23

Post by mathisfun123 »

mholt wrote: post #10
john_strinlai wrote: post #5

> Dr. Larry Poland, president of the non-denominational Miami Bible College, contacted NASA and President Richard Nixon to complain about the profuse profanity from the Apollo 10 crew, demanding they apologize for their behavior. despite my best efforts, i have never been able to understand why or how swear words are inherently offensive. it just does not click with me. a request like this just seems absolutely ridic…

Using profanity indicates a weak vocabulary. A lack of discipline. A degree of unrefinement unbecoming of astronauts representing the "best" of humanity and their country. Depending on the type of profanity it can divide societies by reinforcing social schisms/prejudices. Such words typically cluster around areas of cultural discomfort such as religion, sex, and hygiene, causing polarizing emotional reactions. It's b…

> Using profanity indicates a weak vocabulary

i'll bet you $1000 my vocab is wider, deeper, and more sophisticated than yours despite my profuse use of profanity. interested? happily able to provide various standardized tests (SAT/GRE/LSAT/etc.) and/or your preferred method (wordle/crossword/etc.).

Re: NASA had to train Apollo 11's astronauts to not use profanity (2019)

#24

Post by ASalazarMX »

carefree-bob wrote: post #14
mholt wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Using profanity indicates a weak vocabulary. A lack of discipline. A degree of unrefinement unbecoming of astronauts representing the "best" of humanity and their country. Depending on the type of profanity it can divide societies by reinforcing social schisms/prejudices. Such words typically cluster around areas of cultural discomfort such as religion, sex, and hygiene, causing polarizing emotional reactions. It's b…

If you think astronauts are supposed to be "the best of humanity" then you are going to be dissapointed. Astronauts are chosen because they can withstand high G forces and keep cool under pressure. It is very similar to how race car drivers are chosen. No one believes formula 1 drivers are "the best of humanity". And I wouldn't care if astronaut cursed anymore than if a formula 1 driver did.

I'd argue they're precisely the best humannity has to offer for that use case. And even car racers avoid swearing in public.

Re: NASA had to train Apollo 11's astronauts to not use profanity (2019)

#25

Post by loloquwowndueo »

mholt wrote: post #10
john_strinlai wrote: post #5

> Dr. Larry Poland, president of the non-denominational Miami Bible College, contacted NASA and President Richard Nixon to complain about the profuse profanity from the Apollo 10 crew, demanding they apologize for their behavior. despite my best efforts, i have never been able to understand why or how swear words are inherently offensive. it just does not click with me. a request like this just seems absolutely ridic…

Using profanity indicates a weak vocabulary. A lack of discipline. A degree of unrefinement unbecoming of astronauts representing the "best" of humanity and their country. Depending on the type of profanity it can divide societies by reinforcing social schisms/prejudices. Such words typically cluster around areas of cultural discomfort such as religion, sex, and hygiene, causing polarizing emotional reactions. It's b…

Sorry, using Sacré Quebecois or Mexican albures is a total art form which requires extensive knowledge and creativity. Nothing further from “a weak vocabulary”.

Re: NASA had to train Apollo 11's astronauts to not use profanity (2019)

#26

Post by estimator7292 »

mholt wrote: post #10
john_strinlai wrote: post #5

> Dr. Larry Poland, president of the non-denominational Miami Bible College, contacted NASA and President Richard Nixon to complain about the profuse profanity from the Apollo 10 crew, demanding they apologize for their behavior. despite my best efforts, i have never been able to understand why or how swear words are inherently offensive. it just does not click with me. a request like this just seems absolutely ridic…

Using profanity indicates a weak vocabulary. A lack of discipline. A degree of unrefinement unbecoming of astronauts representing the "best" of humanity and their country. Depending on the type of profanity it can divide societies by reinforcing social schisms/prejudices. Such words typically cluster around areas of cultural discomfort such as religion, sex, and hygiene, causing polarizing emotional reactions. It's b…

That's just regurgitating the same Puritannical bullshit that's been infecting American society for the past hundred years or so.

Humans curse sometimes. That's what happens to real people in the real world. Astronauts are not some kind of pure, unspoiled demigods. They're regular-ass humans who say things like shit and fuck. Just like approximately everyone else does.

I'd rather the best and brightest among us admit that they're real people just like everyone else than put on a show to protect the delicate sensibilities of a very small number of people who clutch pearls and scream when someone nearby says a "bad word".

Astronauts are people. They have genitals, they walk around nude sometimes. They shit, piss, and fuck just like you and me. You want to deify and make them into false idols for some reason. That is a fundamentally bad and wrong thing to do, and you can directly quote many/most religions on that one.

Re: NASA had to train Apollo 11's astronauts to not use profanity (2019)

#27

Post by maybewhenthesun »

nomel wrote: post #11
incognito124 wrote: post #3

English is my second language, but all the examples in TFA* seem... mild. I wonder if they were filtered for the purposes of the article, or profanity just became more widespread in the past 50 years. * = :)

Yes, as any old person will tell you, everyone is rude and disrespectful these days (by comparison).

The eufemism treadmill works bot ways. Eufemisms loose their politeness. Swearwords loose their strength (to be replaced by new ones). Language changes. I don't think people are inherently more rude and disrespectful.

"The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise." - Socrates

Re: NASA had to train Apollo 11's astronauts to not use profanity (2019)

#28

Post by TeMPOraL »

robbyking wrote: post #18
anigbrowl wrote: post #8

[flagged]

It's funny as a parent, because I'm expected to tell my son that he shouldn't curse even though his mom and I do. And all of our friends. And coworkers. And my boss. And his boss. And our CEO. And the fucking president. It's ridiculous.

It's ridiculous now. It might have not been when we were kids, just that our parents and grandparents weren't able to make the lesson stick.

Re: NASA had to train Apollo 11's astronauts to not use profanity (2019)

#29

Post by estimator7292 »

Rotdhizon wrote: post #7

Growing up I never cursed. As an older teen and young adult I started to around my friends but never in the home around my family. Then I entered the military and very quickly cursing became deeply ingrained in my speech. To the point it was difficult to speak a entire sentence without a curse word. Towards the end I embraced religion heavily and made it a point to cut out cursing entirely. Nowadays I do not curse at…

They're just words. If you want to give those words so much power over you, that's your own problem to deal with. What right do you have to demand the rest of society cater to your particular hangups?

When I hear curse words, they elicit exactly the same emotional response as any other word. There's nothing magical or inherently special about them, it's all in your own psychology.

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