Maybe /u/Bastou could tell us about the many levels of vulgarity available in different languages. I once was told that Russian permits seven increasing levels of vulgarity, from things you say to errant children to what you might say to someone you've already killed and desecrated.
Too often in English, it seems, there are only two. The base kind of cursing, which however expressive or cathartic it may be, suggests the speaker is either lazy or self-involved. Then, there may be another kind, where at least some small effort has been made to avoid the crassness and 5h|++yness of plain vulgarity. Consciously or unconsciously, I think I would prefer the latter.
At least it seemed that way during the influx recently when visitors kept wondering where the blanking porn was.
I'm honestly not so interested in all the matters of vulgarity in all the languages that I learn. I tend to find it way more effective to express myself precisely with appropriate words. People overusing vulgarity appear to lack either ideas (arguments) or proper vocabulary to express their thought clearly. It doesn't shock me to hear or read vulgar expressions anywhere, it's actually the opposite : it became so prominent in many places it feels quite drab and tasteless, it doesn't have any effect on me anymore.
I do find it interesting, but only in a linguistic or anthropological way.
suggests the speaker is either lazy or self-involved.
I couldn't disagree more. All words serve a purpose. I choose mine carefully, and sometimes I choose to use curse words, when I feel they are needed and the setting is appropriate. I do recognize that the setting is not always appropriate. While my definition of an appropriate situation is more expansive than most, I'm not the sole definer of social norms and try my best to respect others boundaries. Thus, I have yet to curse on this site, because it seems inappropriate.
What sets this site apart from the rest -in my opinion- is that people make a genuine effort to hold up an intelligent conversation (mostly without using curse words or memes). Curse words may be cathartic and help set the tone of an argument for sure, but I don't think they're necessary. That said, I'd like to add that these words don't offend me.
Maybe /u/Bastou could tell us about the many levels of vulgarity available in different languages. I once was told that Russian permits seven increasing levels of vulgarity, from things you say to errant children to what you might say to someone you've already killed and desecrated.
Too often in English, it seems, there are only two. The base kind of cursing, which however expressive or cathartic it may be, suggests the speaker is either lazy or self-involved. Then, there may be another kind, where at least some small effort has been made to avoid the crassness and 5h|++yness of plain vulgarity. Consciously or unconsciously, I think I would prefer the latter.
At least it seemed that way during the influx recently when visitors kept wondering where the blanking porn was.
I'm honestly not so interested in all the matters of vulgarity in all the languages that I learn. I tend to find it way more effective to express myself precisely with appropriate words. People overusing vulgarity appear to lack either ideas (arguments) or proper vocabulary to express their thought clearly. It doesn't shock me to hear or read vulgar expressions anywhere, it's actually the opposite : it became so prominent in many places it feels quite drab and tasteless, it doesn't have any effect on me anymore.
I do find it interesting, but only in a linguistic or anthropological way.
I couldn't disagree more. All words serve a purpose. I choose mine carefully, and sometimes I choose to use curse words, when I feel they are needed and the setting is appropriate. I do recognize that the setting is not always appropriate. While my definition of an appropriate situation is more expansive than most, I'm not the sole definer of social norms and try my best to respect others boundaries. Thus, I have yet to curse on this site, because it seems inappropriate.
What sets this site apart from the rest -in my opinion- is that people make a genuine effort to hold up an intelligent conversation (mostly without using curse words or memes). Curse words may be cathartic and help set the tone of an argument for sure, but I don't think they're necessary. That said, I'd like to add that these words don't offend me.