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Published 9 years ago by rosellem with 11 Comments

How does Snapzu feel about swearing?

  • How does Snapzu feel about swearing?

    I like the level of discourse on this site and have been making an effort to be civil in all my posts, but I wonder how the community feels about curse words. Personally, I like to swear sometimes. I feel it adds emphasis and is just a natural part of my language. I posted a link on a study that points to people who swear being more honest and trustworthy, but its admittedly flimsy evidence. On the other hand, I could see how it tends to put people on the defensive and make my words sound crueler than I intend. I would love to hear what others think.

 

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  • AdelleChattre (edited 9 years ago)
    +10

    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.

    • Bastou
      +6

      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.

    • rosellem
      +6

      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.

      • Tempest
        +7

        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.

  • oystein
    +8

    I don't mind swearing. Science has shown that swearing after you have hurt yourself reduces the pain.

    • Boudicca
      +6

      Stephen Fry and Brian Blessed did a TV segment on this- if I remember correctly they plunged their arms into icy water and one swore and one didn't, the one who swore was able to last longer.

  • Zeus (edited 9 years ago)
    +7

    It depends on whether someone is swearing for emphasis, or swearing at the people around them.

    Like, if someone dropped a few untargeted F-Bombs to make a point, no problem. But if they started calling people they disagreed with "F---ing idiots," that wouldn't make them honest, it'd just make them an asshole.

  • gremlin
    +4

    I don't mind swearing as well, but I think it is perfectly fine if it is done in an artful way. Especially in comedy and the like.

  • Boudicca (edited 9 years ago)
    +4

    Swearing doesn't offend me as such- it is just words, however I prefer to read posts where some thought has gone into articulating the idea that is being expressed. If a well thought out response is enhanced by the addition of a swear word then so be it. Sometimes, to me, its more the energy that is driving the words, rather than the words themselves, that can be offensive.

  • RoamingGnome
    +4

    I swear in my posts and nobody has banned me yet. But, I'm stupid and lazy, so I think most people just roll their eyes and give me a pass.

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