General Discussion

pnwest

(3,279 posts) Sun Oct 10, 2021, 02:15 PM Oct 2021

I'm confused by people who are offended by swear words. [View all]

Last edited Sun Oct 10, 2021, 05:00 PM - Edit history (1)

(in response to a now-deleted thread about cursing)

Words are just universally agreed-upon sounds that convey concepts. I don’t understand being offended by sounds. I DO understand being offended by the concepts conveyed by those sounds. Personally, I’m a huge fan of both fucking and shitting. Not sure how those concepts are offensive. I’m offended by the concepts conveyed by words like “murder”, “rape”, “misogyny”… but I don’t lose my shit when I hear those words.

In my experience, everyone who has ever tried to make me quit swearing by making me look small for using “swear words”, has been a self-righteous fucker, with a pathetic need for attention.

136 replies

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Highlight:

I'm confused by people who are offended by swear words. [View all] pnwest Oct 2021 OP

This message was self-deleted by its author Chin music Oct 2021 #1

A good bout of shouted profanity can be pnwest Oct 2021 #5

This message was self-deleted by its author Chin music Oct 2021 #8

You might be feeling good malletgirl02 Oct 2021 #13

Smash your finger with a hammer and see what word comes to mind. world wide wally Oct 2021 #77

This one agrees... pnwest Oct 2021 #131

Intent is important. Profanity can be humorous and entertaining, it can also be cruel and violent. sop Oct 2021 #2

'Zakly! pnwest Oct 2021 #6

Yes, it is the intent PatSeg Oct 2021 #54

Profanity, at times,... DEbluedude Oct 2021 #73

I agree. Javaman Oct 2021 #125

This always surprises us in Europe about Americans. OnDoutside Oct 2021 #3

Faux prudishness is an apt perception. pnwest Oct 2021 #7

Probably just cultural differences - there are a few :) Steelrolled Oct 2021 #15

Faux prudishness mixed in with a sense of moral superiority. GoCubsGo Oct 2021 #31

a yup!!! don't get me started... bluboid Oct 2021 #44

Not really faux prudishness. These are usually people who view it as their entitled deference. plimsoll Oct 2021 #59

This message was self-deleted by its author malletgirl02 Oct 2021 #67

No, they're assholes. plimsoll Oct 2021 #75

Of course you should be offended by an insult directed at you personally. pnwest Oct 2021 #93

well, but.... druidity33 Oct 2021 #103

Also it demonstrates a lack of whistler162 Oct 2021 #99

limited vocabulary does that. Voltaire2 Oct 2021 #116

I don't like it when anyone here tries to make anyone look small for any reason MissMillie Oct 2021 #4

Truth. pnwest Oct 2021 #9

It seems we all have our own set of bad words that we don't like to hear. Steelrolled Oct 2021 #10

I am offended far more by people telling others what they can and can't post... MissMillie Oct 2021 #19

Couldn't have said it better myself... GoCubsGo Oct 2021 #34

I believe I have a couple that offend me Mossfern Oct 2021 #36

Gendered and racial slurs bother me. I don't use them. Scrivener7 Oct 2021 #89

It's not the word, it's the intention behind it. meadowlander Oct 2021 #98

This message was self-deleted by its author malletgirl02 Oct 2021 #11

Thank you question everything Oct 2021 #18

That's a fair point PJMcK Oct 2021 #48

I am mixed about the subject, while I understand some people are deeply offended, to me based on a ShazamIam Oct 2021 #12

I come from a long line of champion swearers. luvs2sing Oct 2021 #14

Actually, "swear words" billh58 Oct 2021 #16

My opinion is that when every other word is F**k it shows a poor vocabulary question everything Oct 2021 #17

It can happen with a person who has a good vocabulary soldierant Oct 2021 #49

Exactly. Thanks for explaining, has nothing to do with vocabulary. onecaliberal Oct 2021 #84

Using just one or two swear words, but a lot, is a sign of a poor vocabulary muriel_volestrangler Oct 2021 #91

Sometimes exasperation clouds ones mind. onecaliberal Oct 2021 #105

Amen to this! soldierant Oct 2021 #133

I got an almost perfect SAT verbal score back in the day. And I curse a lot. Scrivener7 Oct 2021 #85

👆🏻👆🏻👆🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 onecaliberal Oct 2021 #134

It might also be the inability to express themselves while speaking. Steelrolled Oct 2021 #101

Good thing we don't need to rely on your opinion. Act_of_Reparation Oct 2021 #123

I gots tons of vocabules and I say fuck and shit on the reg. Iggo Oct 2021 #124

From my somewhat older perspective, dumbcat Oct 2021 #20

Does this translate into feelings of... ret5hd Oct 2021 #32

Interesting questions dumbcat Oct 2021 #58

TY (nt) ret5hd Oct 2021 #66

vulgar Slammer Oct 2021 #68

The person I asked the questions of... ret5hd Oct 2021 #71

Pretty much my thoughts dumbcat Oct 2021 #86

Did you have parents? milestogo Oct 2021 #21

There were words that were not to be spoken in my house, Ocelot II Oct 2021 #26

Yup. milestogo Oct 2021 #28

My Dad never swore but my Mother did have a potty mouth at times kimbutgar Oct 2021 #27

My mother was a veeeery strict, old-school Dutch woman, who had pnwest Oct 2021 #29

Your parents have never tried to make me quit swearing, I've never met them. So by default pnwest Oct 2021 #35

My father used them, hell, damn, shit treestar Oct 2021 #94

what my lifelong hero Frank Zappa had to say about this; 90-percent Oct 2021 #22

Swear words are used *because* they are transgressive. Because they are transgressive, Ocelot II Oct 2021 #23

But they fail to be transgressive when they are overused. milestogo Oct 2021 #33

Exactly my point. I'm not shocked by vulgarity, but I'm sometimes annoyed Ocelot II Oct 2021 #38

That is an excellent book! Behind the Aegis Oct 2021 #60

Taboos change. Go ahead and use the F-word, but do not use the N-word. Klaralven Oct 2021 #24

I swear sometimes but not usually. pwb Oct 2021 #25

As an elementary school teacher teach1st Oct 2021 #30

I have to admit that I like to swear around my uptight sister in law. It makes her flying_wahini Oct 2021 #37

The target of my cussing is usually the computer. Xipe Totec Oct 2021 #50

Sometimes swearing can be appropriate, even excessive swearing. keithbvadu2 Oct 2021 #39

Using the F word DownriverDem Oct 2021 #40

This message was self-deleted by its author malletgirl02 Oct 2021 #41

because those are aimed at your physical appearance and are directed TO YOU Kali Oct 2021 #51

This message was self-deleted by its author malletgirl02 Oct 2021 #61

This message was self-deleted by its author pnwest Oct 2021 #74

fucking obtuse Kali Oct 2021 #114

OMG just choked on my coffee. róisín_dubh Oct 2021 #118

LOL inthewind21 Oct 2021 #126

And then there are two-way words ... Martin Eden Oct 2021 #42

If thy eyes or ears offend thee, get thy shit together and get fucked up. Tommymac Oct 2021 #43

We have to come up with some new swear words tiredtoo Oct 2021 #45

John Goodman's scene from Treme. F you, you F ing, F's sarcasmo Oct 2021 #46

I remember a post calling the word "fuck" a "rapey" word. roamer65 Oct 2021 #47

They're the closest things to actual magic words we have TlalocW Oct 2021 #52

Same ColinC Oct 2021 #53

Free trip to HR in my office. Throck Oct 2021 #55

This message was self-deleted by its author malletgirl02 Oct 2021 #63

is there an hr dept where you work? why not report them? nt orleans Oct 2021 #110

kids Slammer Oct 2021 #56

I don't ask anyone not to swear around me (aside from my daughter) Ms. Toad Oct 2021 #57

As you can see from the responses, it can be quite classist. Behind the Aegis Oct 2021 #62

This message was self-deleted by its author malletgirl02 Oct 2021 #65

Did I say that? Behind the Aegis Oct 2021 #69

This message was self-deleted by its author malletgirl02 Oct 2021 #72

How ironic. Behind the Aegis Oct 2021 #78

This message was self-deleted by its author malletgirl02 Oct 2021 #83

No, I didn't make your point. You missed the point. Behind the Aegis Oct 2021 #104

omg--(been reading these back-and-forth exchanges); you have the patience of a orleans Oct 2021 #112

Wait, what? róisín_dubh Oct 2021 #119

If they called you a grossly obese woman Voltaire2 Oct 2021 #117

I have found that when I feel the need to make a point by swearing..... jaxexpat Oct 2021 #64

I get tired of overuse. LisaM Oct 2021 #70

Fine use swear word malletgirl02 Oct 2021 #76

My Dad used to tell us 4 kids "If you hear me say it, YOU can say it." Talitha Oct 2021 #79

I like to curse. I curse here a lot. I replied to that thread and said so. But the DUer Scrivener7 Oct 2021 #80

Lenny Bruce - when you outlaw the "f" word, you outlaw the ability to say "f" the government. AZLD4Candidate Oct 2021 #81

The last time I emailed my little brother, now a child not quite 70, I asked him if he could Vinca Oct 2021 #82

I hear you Skittles Oct 2021 #87

Your OP doesn't make sense. muriel_volestrangler Oct 2021 #88

Hm. I can see what you mean. If I'm not stating my case clearly, let me elucidate: pnwest Oct 2021 #92

I think Ocelot II explains it pretty well in #23. muriel_volestrangler Oct 2021 #97

delete Manifestor_of_Light Oct 2021 #90

Seems to me that in your Buddhist template you have it backwards. Saying "shit" or "fuck" Scrivener7 Oct 2021 #95

my takeaway from this is that you were proud of your daughter pnwest Oct 2021 #100

Most "curse words" aren't actually curses anymore... Buckeye_Democrat Oct 2021 #96

Like others, I'm of an age where it was forbidden dickthegrouch Oct 2021 #102

For true desensitization to the F-bomb... roamer65 Oct 2021 #106

A tutorial. roamer65 Oct 2021 #107

Fucking hilarious pnwest Oct 2021 #129

Go ahead and spit on the sidewalk and scratch SharonClark Oct 2021 #108

Words-- specifically dehumanizing words -- are prelude to action. ExTex Oct 2021 #109

Not a bit offended. tavernier Oct 2021 #111

Everything in moderation. Be aware of your audience. LakeArenal Oct 2021 #113

Swearing is easy, anyone can do it Raine Oct 2021 #115

Message auto-removed Name removed Oct 2021 #120

I've fallen short of my own principles with regard to cursing ecstatic Oct 2021 #121

Cussing around grownups bothers me zero and it bothers me less and less that it bothers others. Iggo Oct 2021 #122

One of my favorite Lenny Bruce routines: thucythucy Oct 2021 #127

HA! That's great pnwest Oct 2021 #128

Here's another one you might like. thucythucy Oct 2021 #130

It sucks if it's done by assholes in the wrong settings or as spice to mask boring or stupid gulliver Oct 2021 #132

Country Joe McDonald the fish cheer cksmithy Oct 2021 #135

Just because this belongs in this thread CelticCrow Oct 2021 #136