Whats wrong with cursing word?

[Tim_Lou]

we know what f*** means, we know what it is.

some people are very sensitive about this word.

when they hear it, they pretend they dont know about it, or get mad, or get nervous.

why do we show such strong disapproval toward this word?

 

(imagine how powerful this word is!)

i rarely see such word written down in the daily life, and this word is not allowed to be used in so many situations.

 

as far as i know, most of the language have cursing words.

so, why did we even create these words? whats the meaning? how can 4 letters make such a big difference?

[Tormod]

A VERY good question. However, the answer is not so easy to come up with. This can be explained in many ways - semantics, culture, sociology, history...

 

There are many kinds of words. The F word is a "swearword", which for some is plain fun to use (between every other word) while others perceive it as the most horrible thing to say.

 

But there are other words which have different uses. In Norway there are actually people who use the (Norwegian) word for "Jew" to imply that someone is really stupid. That is a mindless use of a word and not least a horrible insult.

 

Of course, sometimes words are not even needed. How about just using the middle finger?

 

There are so many things which can be discussed here...not even sure where to start.

[Freethinker]

It is an interesting example of arbitrary subjective assignment of "morals". I have tried to figure my own stance on it out and have trouble "reasoning" it. I typically do not use what is often called "foul" language (including the f word and even less "offensive" words), my ex did and my kids do to a varying level. Perhaps the most confusing for me is my daughter's heavy usage of f... and other such. On one hand, I do not hold the typical Puritanical views of such words being something so offensive as to be unusable in "civilized" society. But perhaps conditioning still causes a negative reaction when she does.

 

Especially since the oposition to "cursing" is based on biblical tenets of not using god in vein. WHich we all here know I would have no problem with.

 

Other than I try to not use the word at all if possible.

 

Then there are the various attempts to use while not using the word. Such as spelling it f*ck. Why does it make it acceptable to use the word (as there is no doubt which word is being used) if some of the letters are not directly used? Or as a local columnist uses "what the fock".

 

Bottom line it shows how absurd arbitrary conventions are.

[Tormod]

Originally posted by: Freethinker

I... have trouble "reasoning" it.

 

Now I've seen/heard/read everything. FCUK!

[Tim_Lou]

well, i think the f word should be part of our literature, our culture.... it should be respected like any other words!

 

but imagine the f word being put in the SAT I!.....

 

also, some people really have a hard time using the f word in their real life....its weird.

ok, lets see...F!!!, i cant type it in. :

[WildRose1010]

You all have great points, but I commonly use such "swear words" and I usually never even notice it. I find that it is only a word, like any other, but bad feelings have been ingrained into others by their parents and these connections cannot be seperated, even when reasoned away with logic. Would silence be more acceptable than swearing? I don't know about everyone else, but this poem may say something to you about swearing and the alternatives.

 

Sticks and stones,

Break my bones,

Aimed with angry art.

Words can sting,

Like anything,

But silence breaks the heart.

 

Does anyone agree? Wouldn't you rather have someone swearing at you (even using f***) then completely ignoring you?

[Turtle]

 

Does anyone agree? Wouldn't you rather have someone swearing at you (even using f***) then completely ignoring you?

 

No. Try Googling "taboo words" for 147,000 hits. :)

[rockytriton]

People who swear a lot in conversation give the impression of immaturity, so I usually tend to pay less attention to them.

[motherengine]

forgiving unreasonable cadence keels; the annunciation is guttural and the identification is offensive through conditioned response. try "shut the f**k up, c**t" for a triple punch when verbally assaulting suburban housewifes in the supermarket.

 

as far as the rest of those words i guess you have to be raised with the right ear.

[Bio-Hazard]

I think a simple phrase such as, "I want to make you feel good" can be more powerful than a shut the **** up. Such things make people think you are really weird and make them want to avoid you at all costs. Such things achieve a greater stand than Shut the f,_,ck up.

[HydrogenBond]

The comedian George Carlin does a good dialogue about swear words. " Of all the words in the dictionary that begin withthe letter F, F--k is the only one called the F-word." It is called that because it is so versatle and has so many meanings. It not only has many meanings but it can be used to express a wide range of emotions. FK-you (anger), I'm Fked (worry), Fking Aye! (happy), FK-me (depressed), wanna Fk (horny), What the FK (surprise), etc..,This versatility is why people use swear words like F--K.

 

On the other hand, our reaction to such words is a conditioned reponse. Someone pushes the lever and a food pellet drops. If someone swore at you in a language you did not understand it would not both you, unless the emotional assocition was negative. The lever-food pellet association has not been programmed yet. In the final analysis swears are just bad breath going through vocal cords; offensive but not life threatening.

[motherengine]

though telling someone that you want to make them feel good may cause someone to walk away, though it is less likely to incite aggression than profanity. animals who have become comfortable in the civilized arena tend not to enjoy reminders of what they actually are. maybe certain words have sound impressions that remind us (emotionally) of our connection to mother dirt. rutting and f***ing are very similar sounding words for the same base behavior and both can invoke offense. "i want to mate with you" just doesn't have that umph. vowels, man, vowels.

[HydrogenBond]

If I am not mistaken the word F--K comes from the German, definately a manly culture. You are correct about word association and emotional induction. For a man to ask a woman to "make love" or to "F--", although resulting in the same end result for the man, the sweeter word makes the same thing appear more acceptable to the female. She can extropolate to the happy ending. Conversely the more sour words would lead to the female's imagination love train, crashing. But honesty of intent with obscence language can also mean bitter medicine that prevents sickness and helps healing. What is better the sweet talking liar or the vulgar honest person.

[Boerseun]

Great question. Keeping in mind the popular meaning of the "f-word", why is the "s-word" (sex) not considered rude as well? Scientists use it every day, and so on. Or even copulation, or fornication, for that matter. It all means the same thing, as far as I'm concerned. I suppose the only reason the "f-word" is considered rude, is because we have decided it should be so. Our conversations cannot always be polite, I guess.

 

Concerning the origins of the word, there's a lot of stories. One goes that a couple of hundred years ago, rapists in the UK had, upon sentencing, the abbreviation F.U.C.K. stamped on their dockets. And that, of course, stands for "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge". Go figure. Whether this tale of woe is true or not is anybody's guess - but it might point to the origin of the sexual connotation to the word.

[Kriminal99]

Haha I think its pretty funny that you asked that because I was thinking it before to. According to the dictionary, there are words that mean the "same thing" but yet some how magically do not have the same effect when used. I think the truth is dictionaries are terrible at holding the meanings of words, and the true meanings of such words contain obviously unpleasent elements. Like rather than just having sex, the f word might mean aggressively screwing someone or almost even rape (as best as it can be described with words) and invoke somewhat disturbing imagery. The S word might not be much worse than "This is horse poop!" (which also would invoke unpleasant imagery) but again that is not the full explanation because at least for me poop seems to partially invoke thoughts of changing a babies diper or seeing excrement in a controlled enviornment, where the s word tends to go along more with finding the stuff somewhere where it isn't supposed to be.

 

Then on top of everything else all of these words are slanted by the way we hear them used so the real meanings are constantly changing. Damn might normally invoke images of god smiting someone or hell or something like that, but since hearing it said by guys who are mad they aren't with an attractive girl it becomes something that girl might like to hear and then consequently something a guy might like to say because it might make a girl smile.

[Tormod]

Wow...they are using the F and S words... ;)

[rockytriton]

it depends on where you live. If you say "I want to make you feel good" to some strange woman in america, you are likely to be sued for harassment and mental anguish, rediculous huh?