What the F? What swearing reveals about language and ourselves
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Re: What the F? What swearing reveals about language and ourselves
#2What the F#
Re: What the F? What swearing reveals about language and ourselves
#3This is actually a really awesome article, though poorly titled for the HN crowd. It is about brain research in brain injured individuals and how that impacts use of language:
Studies from people with different types of aphasia have delineated different brain regions that regulate different aspects of communication. Wernicke’s area is like a dictionary: it helps us to understand the meanings of the words we hear and to choose the words we want to use in a particular context. People with damage to this area can’t understand language, yet they can pronounce words and assemble sentences—it’s just that the sentences they come up with don’t make any sense. Broca’s area is in charge of producing sounds; people with damage to this area have trouble articulating words and sentences.
But both Wernicke’s aphasics and Broca’s aphasics, and even global aphasics, can swear. These swear words are coming from somewhere else in the brain, not the parts known to be responsible for generating the rest of language.
Re: What the F? What swearing reveals about language and ourselves
#4Perhaps this is partly why it’s so hard to stop cursing.
I curse like a sailor, even though I'm consciously aware that it’s an unhelpful, unprofessional, unarticulated form of communication.
Re: What the F? What swearing reveals about language and ourselves
#5What the F#
Obligatory Brainfuck mention
Re: What the F? What swearing reveals about language and ourselves
#6Harvard psychology prof Steven Pinker has an interesting demo of this in one of his stump lectures on language an emotion. He recites fifty English swear words in raid succession. By the end of that minute the audience is cringing. Who could think a distinguished Harvard professor could go potty mouth like that? Pinkers point is that swearing is processed by an alternative language system deeply tied to emotion and can override normal language emotion.
P.S. Pinker has several video lectures on his website and one of them might have this demonstration.
Re: What the F? What swearing reveals about language and ourselves
#7Harvard psychology prof Steven Pinker has an interesting demo of this in one of his stump lectures on language an emotion. He recites fifty English swear words in raid succession. By the end of that minute the audience is cringing. Who could think a distinguished Harvard professor could go potty mouth like that? Pinkers point is that swearing is processed by an alternative language system deeply tied to emotion and c…
Re: What the F? What swearing reveals about language and ourselves
#8Perhaps this is partly why it’s so hard to stop cursing. I curse like a sailor, even though I'm consciously aware that it’s an unhelpful, unprofessional, unarticulated form of communication.
one interesting thing: i don't swear that much in my native language. i find... cringy.
now, whenever i speak/write english, i swear like a sailor. feels more natural to curse in english.
Re: What the F? What swearing reveals about language and ourselves
#9All swearing reveals to me is that you're inarticulate, vulgar, don't respect others, and are probably of low birth. Hahaha, JK. I love swearing and most of my favorite people swear a lot.
Re: What the F? What swearing reveals about language and ourselves
#10What a FUCKING LOAD OF FAGGOT BULLSHIT!