Swearing is actually normal for all people. Any word can be classified as a “swear” or “bad” word. That’s how language works. There is nothing wrong with using a word that is deemed a cuss word. The actual “bad” part is always the context the word is used in. If you smacked your foot into a chair accidentally and you called the chair a Bastard, you used the expletive correctly. But if you walked into work one morning and walked by your boss and said to him, “Good morning you Bastard.”, that’s going to get you in trouble. The context matters.
You can make any word a cuss word in the context you use it. You can ask a person if they like Bananas, “Are you a banana eater?”. Or you can accuse a person, “What kind of a sick banana eater are you? What is wrong with you?”, ‘banana eater’ is now a bad phrase/thing.
Context in language always matters, regardless of the taboo of a word/phrase.
Words only have power over you if you let them. Language is to be used, enjoyed and laughed at.
You can’t entirely remove a word from it’s main meaning and there’s a reason all popular swear words are negative or taboo things, fuck, damn, hell etc
Well gosh darnit the study of etymology is gonna want a word (hehe) with you. a faggot used to be an old unpleasant woman who was like baggage, as difficult to carry around as a bundle of sticks which was also called a faggot. Brits smoke fags.
Literally is another example. Through use, it now has a secondary definition which is exactly the opposite of its primary one. (figurative, emphasis)There are less popular examples but your premise as i understand it is just wrong friend
I didn’t say the main meaning can’t change, just that you can’t remove it from said meaning by using it in a different context
just that you can’t remove it from said meaning by using it in a different context
I’m afraid i don’t follow (no sarcasm). Can you elaborate?
The main meaning of a word can change, but at any given time, you can’t use the word in a different context, and expect how people receive it to be completely divorced from its current main meaning
This is true, which is why context matters. Like if you love a song so much and say, “That’s sick!”, people might think you mean “ill” and assume something negative.
Try playing Sonic the Hedgehog some more and expressing how it makes you feel.
Sonic? Or Sonic 2? Because that underwater level made my heart race as a KID! Imagine the damage it could do to me now as an ADULT!!! I mean, I’m not elderly or anything, but I just don’t want to risk a heart attack.
I had to go take a heart pill because I can hear that music in my head.
Swearing is viewed as a bad thing mainly because of religion, particularly anything puritanical. It’s the equivalent of taking the lords name in vain for some people. When I was in 3rd grade, I said dammit after dropping my coat instead of putting it on a hanger. I learned that word really early cause my mother had been using it since she was 3. My friend heard me and told the teacher, a nun, who pulled me aside and said cursing is never, ever, okay and that it’s taking the lords name in vain even if you don’t say Jesus or God or whatever. Also said Dammit was one of the worst ones.
So I agree with others here. The question should not be, “Why is cursing normal for some people?” It should be the opposite. Curse words are just words. They don’t have power like religion states. They’re just words. To whomever doesn’t curse, stop letting just words have power over you. They don’t fucking matter.
The funny thing is that when Christ was over turning the money changers tables in the temple he was cursing at them to get out.
True. But they’ve never let examples of why their reasoning is flawed to keep them from believing those things.
I mean, even Chaucer in the Canterbury Tales poked fun at the nun for her frequent oaths “by saint Loy” IIRC.
Who the fuck is asking and why the fuck should I care if they care?
Don’t be such a fucking twat, you cunt. /s
Never swearing is as weird as swearing constantly. They’re words, they have meaning and context.
A number of women I know would rather use any word besides “moist”, it’s quite funny.
I have random stupid hangups and for who knows why profanity is one of them. I’m fine with it. I barely notice when others use it. But I just can’t. It doesn’t sound right in my context or in my voice.
Of course I hate my own voice with a fiery passion, but that’s another hangup.
What about “sopping”?
I’ll try dropping it at Thanksgiving dinner, I’m giving even odds that I get asked to leave, especially if combined with moist.
Because swearing was strictly forbidden in my household and i picked it up in late high school and early college partially as an act of defiance.
I made friends also more interested in content and quality of thought than on politeness and that was dope AF.
Now it’s part of my lexicon, just a casual turn of phrase.
“Ay yo, that shit is fire” conveys the same sentiment as “Wow! That’s really cool.”
I’m a mechanical engineer and a writer. Words are words. They have meanings and those meanings change over time and with context/audience.
People who don’t ever swear feel repressed to me. It’s a weird vibe. Not a fan.
Where is swearing not normal? I don’t live in a preschool. It’s the 90’s. We have internet and everything now. I can say the “fuck” word.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but it’s not the 90’s anymore, it’s 2024.
Sorry, I was in a coma. I hope nothing bad happened after the 90’s. I’d hate to wake up in 2024 and learn basically everything is kind of shittier except portable music players and street food.
Seriously, this question is exactly backwards. Everything should be normal to say unless there’s a specific reason NOT to say it. So OP, what is your specific reason for thinking people SHOULDN’T say swear words?
You give the word power and meaning by viewing it certain way. To me cuss words have no power they are meaningless. equivalent to a simple filler word. Others around you might give power to cussing, but then why is it your fucking problem that they choose to be simps for a word?
I swear I don’t know…
Some people are sailors. Others are not.
Technically not a sailor, but I’ve worked on ships enough for it to have a noticeable effect on my English vocabulary.
STORY TIME
15ish years ago I was on a ship in Brazil on a steady rotation. It was a two vessel operation, and I had to pay the other ship a visit for some technical work.
Onboard there was this petite older catholic lady who showed me around where my cabin was, where to find linen and all that. She spoke English with a heavy accent, but it was fine, and I had no problem understanding her. It quickly became apparent that she’d learned most of her English in this environment. Think about the accent of Conzuela from Family Guy: “…and here is the bathroom for when you have a massive shit.” Those words came as unexpected as a suckerpunch and I really struggled to keep a straight face.
This question is exactly backwards. Everything should be normal to say unless there’s a specific reason NOT to say it. So OP, what is your specific reason for thinking people SHOULDN’T say swear words?
I read the Bible for a living.
There are verses that say not to swear or curse.
James 5:12 Leviticus 19:12 Ecclesiastes 10:20 Romans 12:14 Proverbs 30:10 Matthew 26:74
Take a further look and i think you’ll find those passages don’t mean what you think they mean. On biblehub look at the most up to date translations, and look at the commentaries section - https://biblehub.com/james/5-12.htm
I see…I just don’t prefer profanity over normal language.
Ah, now THAT is a valid reason!! We all have our own preferences, and by itself that’s totally fine
Thanks.
Profanity is a part of normal language.
I’ve noticed that words that are considered “profanity” tend to be vernacular words that express negative emotions (pain, anger, frustration, etc). The fact that these words are considered profane seems a bit unhealthy, because it limits our ability to verbally express how we are feeling internally. Nevertheless, I think some people might use these words too often. If one is cursing every other word all the time, then it’s a bit like “crying wolf” once they use it when they’re actually experiencing a strong negative emotion.
I disagree. Lots of swear words are just derogatory ways of referring to people. I don’t think it should be normal for those words to be said
Well clearly you agree with me, not disagree, because you have a specific reason for why you think they shouldn’t be used.
Secondly, you’re misunderstanding what swear words are. It includes insults, but that isn’t what a swear word is. Swear words at least as often don’t even refer to people, as in “fuck! I stubbed my toe!” and “damn I’m late for work again”. And in fact very often they’re used as positive words, as in “shit i love that tv show!” and “that motherfucker really knows how to play the bass!”
You said the question should be backwards. I disagree
You think random words should be not said for no reason?
Also, you didn’t respond to the main part of my point
What part
I don’t know. Swearing isn’t in my day to day vocabulary. I think i just grew out of it. It has it’s place, especially for comedy purposes. But if i hear people swear a lot i feel the same way as when i see people spit on the floor. Kinda gross and unnecessary.
They don’t give a fuck? You can hear em, moan and yuck
I’ve read that swearing is the sign of an honest person.
Studies have shown that swearing makes dealing with pain easier.