Are "bad words" so bad?

[TrievelA7X]

What do you think? Why do people care about a select group of words labeled swearing? People can't even agree what words are ok, and which ones are not.
Also, what caused them to be considered foul? Who decided they were wrong, or improper, impolite, rude, brash, abrasive, vulgar, and so forth? What gave them the authority to determine them bad? Just something I've wondered since my childhood... nobodys ever given me a good answer as to why these words are so horrible.

Honestly, if we all just accepted them, what would that do? nothing. you know it, I know it. so why the, dare I say - BS?

 

[3Axis]

The more we do something of taboo, the less effective / appalling they become.

 

[ultrataco]

My thought's exactly. It's nice to know I'm not the only person who's wondered about that. The past few years, I've been thinking about this a lot. It seems to be just some random traditional cultural thing. I can't figure it out. I think as a culture we give certain words power by making them taboo.

I don't use them but that's because of my upbringing and environment, which eventually is ingrained into conscience. I don't really have a problem with other people using them, but if overused they can sometimes make people sound unintelligent, like they can't think of anything meaningful to say. (YouTube comments come to mind)

 

[mindwise]

I could not choose C because there are words i think are just offensive. (like diseases)
But things like ":censored:ing hell" are not things i have any problem with, do they count too?

Under the above reasoning, i opted for B

[edit]
"Darn" "do they count too?" it seems they do, well i guess the fact i just found out is a good sign, lol

 

[Sureboss]

Depends on context. General swearing doesn't bother me, aim it at someone and it bothers me. Some words, in any context, I despise. Though they are more insults than swearing.

 

[zujo 19]

Depends on context. General swearing doesn't bother me, aim it at someone and it bothers me. Some words, in any context, I despise. Though they are more insults than swearing.

+1:tup:

 

[Northstar]

Depends on context. General swearing doesn't bother me, aim it at someone and it bothers me. Some words, in any context, I despise. Though they are more insults than swearing.

I agree, although you have to throw in surrounding conditions as well. For instance if you see a bad car accident happen chances are a couple words will come out of your mouth that wouldn't normally use.

I personally never use them unless it is a moment of frustration(i.e failing a GT test for the 10th time).

 

[TB]

For me it's location and surroundings.

At work I can (and on occasion do) swear like a drunken sailor on speed (contractors just bring that out of you around here). At home, the worst you'll hear is "crap" and the like because the kids are around. They'll hear it all soon enough, but 5 and 3 is too young.

So since I use, but differentiate, I'll opt for option B.

 

[bergauk]

I opted for B, around children I'll keep it to a minimum. But every once in a while they'll slip out. I try to be aware of what I'm saying a lot of the time, but when I talk I'll randomly trip over my own words and that usually brings out one.

 

[Turbo Lag]

I'll keep the swearing down in 'public places', this includes when gaming with the mic. Most I'll ever say around people who I'm not too familiar is 'crap'. Although at school, and around people I'm used to I can swear my heart out because everyone is ok with it. If ever I meet someone, I'll never, ever swear unless they're fine with it.

These days swearing isn't too big of a deal, go out to any shopping centre here and it's an inevitable thing you'll hear. As long as you don't take it personally, I think it's ok.

 

[Jay]

Swearing doesn't bother me but I can't stand people that rely on swearing in every sentence.

 

[Perfect Balance]

I use it when I need a powerful word.

"Crap" or "darn" sometimes just don't cut it.

 

[Zrow]

In theory, I guess I don't see how any word can be considered "worse" than another. But they're part of our culture I guess, and they can be useful when you need to add some SERIOUS emphasis on something (of course this doesn't work when you use them as every other word).

 

[Joel]

I swear at work, but it's not like every second or third word is an F-bomb. I swear around my friends a bit as well, but I try to restrict myself around my brother (11)

 

[Legendary]

I meant to vote the second one, my bad. I dont find it offensive as such but it still isnt very nice. In the 60s or 70s i'm sure it would have been much more offensive but nowadays people just dont, well give a 🤬.

 

[TrievelA7X]

I guess my main question is why? How did this start? somebody called feces (see I can't even say it) one day, and...??? who decided it was bad? why? why?!?!?! whyyyyy?!?!? and how did it catch on as wrong? many people consider it immoral.

I'm not gonna lie, children don't prevent me from "swearing".
Why not you ask? Because I believe the only reason these words became taboo stems from religion.
Most of them have meanings that are identical to other words.
Darn? Dang? these mean exactly the same thing as the "bad" word.
Shoot? crap? poo? poop? again, exactly the same meaning.
Pee, urinate, sex, mean women, whatever the word, and it's meaning, (including the 50,000 uses for the F-Bomb), anything else you say in it's place will still mean the exact same thing, won't it?

So to me, saying "piss" is no different than pee. you could say you're pissed off, or say your angry, why is it a problem for anyone, no matter their age, to use either of them?

and then there's the book about which ones are foul(er) than others?
The FCC has decided for Americans, that damn is ok for kids, so long as parents are notified by a "PG" rating, but you must be 13 to hear god in front of it? at 13 you can hear **** once per movie?

I've been trying to be more tolerant of these weird things that bother me so much, but honestly, this has to go on the list of stupidest things in the world. (my list anyway)

Not to mention it makes you sound childish to say butt in many cases... but maybe that's why ass is a PG word now, cause we found it more useful? There clearly is no logic whatsoever behind this.

 

[Exorcet]

Words only have meanings that people give to them.

 

[niky]

Swearing, per se, doesn't bother me. For some people, swear words are like colloquialisms, words that color your language but don't really have any significant meaning.

Of course, like most colloquialisms... they often interfere with the clarity of communication. Spice up your language with enough slang (that's phat s***, yo, innit?) and you become almost completely incomprehensible to anyone outside of your clique.

When communicating with strangers, I try to avoid swear words and slang words... simply for clarity of communication. That my non-use of swear words also means that my communication is inoffensive is merely a bonus.

 

[NLxAROSA]

Depends on context. General swearing doesn't bother me, aim it at someone and it bothers me. Some words, in any context, I despise. Though they are more insults than swearing.

+1

Swearing can be very releaving in some situations. But name-calling is a sign of weakness (not being able to win a discussion by argument, but trying to do so by taking a shot at someone) IMO.

When communicating with strangers, I try to avoid swear words and slang words... simply for clarity of communication.

+1

This forum would not be a nice place if all posts were filled with the f-word every sentence and damn's in every other. I really don't care about the cursing or swearing, it's just that it makes posts less readable, much like using 'r u there l8er'.

 

[Mark T]

When amongst my family I never swear. Amongst friends and at home I'll use a variety of swear words but never the C word in front of my girlfriend or where stangers can hear me say it.

 

[Cap'n Jack]

I have no problem with swearing, unless someone feels the need to place one in every sentence. Not because it's rude, but just because it's annoying in the same way that a 16 year old girl will say "like" 6 times in one sentence or someone who puts and "eh" at the end of every sentence.

 

[Keef]

...someone who puts and "eh" at the end of every sentence.

Canadians.

 

[Jay]

I have no problem with swearing, unless someone feels the need to place one in every sentence. Not because it's rude, but just because it's annoying in the same way that a 16 year old girl will say "like" 6 times in one sentence or someone who puts and "eh" at the end of every sentence.

Exactly...eh

 

[WallRunner]

I usually don't mind, but it just reduces the quality of any conversation as it seems your vocabulary isn't profound enough to think of something else to say.

From,
Chris.

 

[TrievelA7X]

I usually don't mind, but it just reduces the quality of any conversation as it seems your vocabulary isn't profound enough to think of something else to say.

From,
Chris.

I picked you out of the bunch at random.

I think we should say it depends on the "swearing", maybe?
If people are talking about certain things, normal people, the word "feces" or "poo" or others, will either make you sound like a weenie, or sound like a know-it-all.
Look at this below.
"My rectum hurts because my feces are too hot, and it burns"
"My butt hurts because my poop's too hot"

 

[A Fatal Goodbye]

My senior year english teacher told me that it goes back to our root language: latin. And something about 2 different men trying to set grounds or rules in certain areas of the langauge, and i dont remember what happened but one of these guys became hated over something or lost at something so the other guy condemned his influene over the language and collectively society recognized such words as bad.

An example is that the guy's word for sexual intercourse was (not sure how it was spelled then) "****, yet since his influence became condemned, so did the words such as that one.

I wish I knew the details, but i'm pretty sure there is a book on the subject matter.

 

[Rotary Junkie]

I picked you out of the bunch at random.

I think we should say it depends on the "swearing", maybe?
If people are talking about certain things, normal people, the word "feces" or "poo" or others, will either make you sound like a weenie, or sound like a know-it-all.
Look at this below.
"My rectum hurts because my feces are too hot, and it burns"
"My butt hurts because my poop's too hot"

Versus "My ass hurts because my ****'s too hot and it burns."

Hmmmm... I don't think there is any way to make that sentence not sound stupid.

 

[Grand Prix]

My senior year english teacher told me that it goes back to our root language: latin. And something about 2 different men trying to set grounds or rules in certain areas of the langauge, and i dont remember what happened but one of these guys became hated over something or lost at something so the other guy condemned his influene over the language and collectively society recognized such words as bad.

An example is that the guy's word for sexual intercourse was (not sure how it was spelled then) "****, yet since his influence became condemned, so did the words such as that one.

I wish I knew the details, but i'm pretty sure there is a book on the subject matter.

Interesting theory, never heard that one before. Perhaps this guy(s) was trying to make language simpler by using short words for everything? Because pretty much all swear words have one syllable and are under 7 characters long. But, for whatever reason, short effective words were frowned upon?

Or perhaps swear words are bad because they are short and effective? In much the same way we tend to avoid writing words like, like, bad, good, big and small, in written papers and essays? Today we don't treat these like swear words, but perhaps more extreme societies back then were less forgiving? I dunno. Just guessing.

On the other hand, it is much easier to express anger using a swear word, as opposed to a thought out sentence, isn't it? I think it would interesting though, if longer words such as Antidisestablishmentarianism, were a type of swear word. A higher-class of swear word.

Just imagine if Antidisestablishmentarianism, or some other ridiculously long word, was the worst swear word in the English language. In that situation, if you heard somebody say it in front of you, considering that the person took the time and dedication required to say it, you know he's ****ing ****ed off and wants to murder you!! In other words.

 

[ultrataco]

Some of the strength of words comes from their lack of usage or "taboo-ness" (). Using movies as an example, I've noticed that the F-word (and others) often comes across much stronger when it's thoughtfully placed in the script once or twice than when it's thrown around in every sentence. It's the same in real life. I know people who swear a lot, so it doesn't bother me when they do, and I don't take it too seriously. I also know people who never swear. If they did, I would know it's really serious.

I think it would interesting though, if longer words such as Antidisestablishmentarianism, were a type of swear word. A higher-class of swear word.

There's an idea. If swear words were longer and more complicated, only older, more intelligent people could/would use them and know when to use them as well. Profanity would be unpractical. You'd only used it if you really mean it, not just because you can't think of anything else to say or want to get attention or look cool.

 

[Eric.]

I've had this exact conversation with people before. Let's take the word that means "having sex" for an example. Person A and Person B had sex. Person A and Person B ****ed. What makes that different?

In response to the poll, around friends or coworkers I'll say what I want, there are times when some cursing is required from frustration or to get a point across. But around customers I won't, or around people I don't know too well/girls.