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Dang and Heck
2011-08-20 19:41:00
edited 2011-08-20 19:41:00 in General
I am Dr. Ned who is totally not Dr. Zed in disguise.
Or the idea that Damn and Hell need mild versions.
Comments
And I've never really heard anyone use "bloody" seriously here. The few times it is used it's almost always for comic effect.
"TOMPKINS MADE A SWEAR!"
"Damn" I think is pretty mild most everywhere at this point. "Hell" is apparently still considered quite rude among conservative Christians in the States, which I find weird.
Gosh darned it all to heck!
I have a problem with people having a problem with swearing in general.
I recognize that I have my own bias with this, but I think the reasons for disliking swearing are pretty straightforward.
Basically, from what I have seen and heard, different phrasing and word choices dramatically alter the meaning of what someone says. Using particularly harsh words may be upsetting to people in the same way that using an angry or loud tone would. If you want to appear kind and approachable, then I believe that it makes a lot of sense to not use swears.
One may argue that swearing in a friendly tone does not have that effect. I agree that to some extent those negatives are diminished in such situations. Still, I think it is undeniable that curse words have certain connotations (just like any other word) and just because someone does not scream those curse words does not mean those connotations do not exist.
In a sense, I believe that it makes sense to not curse as a precaution because people you do not know really well may not know your intention and may be offended.
That age seems to be, "Once you move out"
Best part of all is that she swears quite a bit
I get what you're saying, and I guess I can agree that there are cases where swearing is ill-advised. It's just that the people who actively try to repress swearing seem to be against it in any case, and that's something I find a little nuts. It really feels like a lot of the people who absolutely refuse to swear are cutting off some of the range of expression that would be healthy to express.
I think what you said makes some sense, but I wonder if the range of expression that you are cutting off is really healthy to express anyway. I am not sure if I completely understand why people swear, but I tend to think that do it when they are really angry or upset. Obviously, being furious or depressed is not fun and being able to express your emotions makes sense.
Still, while something could be said for having a release valve, there are other ways to deal with your emotions than cursing out loud, many of which do not have the potential consequence of collateral damage. For example, some people use distractions like playing games or going for a walk to calm themselves down a bit.
Plus, if we agree that there are cases where swearing is ill-advised (whatever those cases may be), then a case could be made that cursing, regardless of context, will make you more likely to curse in the bad situations we mentioned earlier. Basically, if you refrain from swearing entirely, I think you are less likely to curse in situations where it would be particularly harmful for you to do so because you will not have built up that habit.
Icalasari,
My mom also hates 'hate' being used unless you're a certain age at which point she gives up, because you, "can never actually hate something, only dislike it"
I can agree with the idea that people should avoiding hating people as best they can. As far as I can tell, hate tends to make it difficult for you to think straight or appreciate things for what they really are. That being said, trying to avoid using the word "hate" entirely seems about as silly to me as not saying "die" because you fear death. I do not think that pretending something like hate does not exist is a good way to deal with it.
Even if there are alternate methods, it doesn't mean that they're optimal or realistic in the situation. Let's say you're in a great deal of pain and can't do anything about it. Swearing is something that can
be cathartic, and I'd hate to see someone suffer that much more because they have to spend some of their focus and energy holding back something natural.
While I think you may be right that swearing could be cathartic in such a situation, I am not sure that it could ever really be called an optimal reaction. Even though some of the alternate methods I mentioned may be off limits in such situations, I think that others that are more mental in nature such as counting to ten, thinking of something more calming, or even going "to your happy place" are still available and I do not believe they carry the same risks that cursing does.
I do not think that someone is going to really suffer that more because he or she did not curse and even if I feel like it would be a minimal difference that would be made up for with a long term gain. I wish I could read the article IanExMachina mentioned though.
Granted, I accept that I being a bit of stickler about this. Even though I certainly believe swearing is a negative behavior, I understand that it often only has a limited negative impact. I think the main thing for me is that I see it as impolite and unprofessional and being particularly concerned with not sounding harsh to other people, I refrain from doing it. Still, I certainly try not to look down on other people for cursing since I understand that it is fairly common.
I think the very fact that you're uncomfortable about swearing is a clue that it's a good thing to do when in pain. It's certainly not necessarily polite, but that's sort of the point. I see it as something primal and instinctual.
I think I can see what you mean about swearing being somewhat primal an instinctual, but I feel like cursing is definitely tied to cultural and social norms. After all, it seems to me that what gives a swear the negative connotation we discussed earlier is the society that places that meaning in it. In that respect, I do not believe that avoiding curse words in order to be polite is less instinctual than swearing when in a great deal of pain. They both seem to me to be incredibly tied to the norms of society and are taught by that society.
I agree that cursing can be an effective way to let other people know that you are serious. Still, I feel like there are other ways to do that including using a certain tone of voice or a specific facial expression.
Swearing might get your blood pumping, sure, but I am not sure that is necessarily a good thing a lot of the time. I think having enthusiasm can be great, but getting wrapped up in emotions could stop you from doing the right thing because you are consumed by passion.