What is the purpose of cussing?

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Philosophy Explorer
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What is the purpose of cussing?

Post by Philosophy Explorer »

Is it to tear down the person in front of you? To give you relief? Is there any rationale to cussing? Or is it strictly emotional? Does it do any good?

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vegetariantaxidermy
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Re: What is the purpose of cussing?

Post by vegetariantaxidermy »

It's a steam valve. I think it's been around for as long as language has. If you don't have a safety valve your head will explode.
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Re: What is the purpose of cussing?

Post by Philosophy Explorer »

vegetariantaxidermy wrote:It's a steam valve. I think it's been around for as long as language has. If you don't have a safety valve your head will explode.
To make the thread more interesting, do you then think that cussing reduces fighting since it acts as a steam valve, or does it lead to more fighting? (I think the latter is more likely)

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Re: What is the purpose of cussing?

Post by thedoc »

Philosophy Explorer wrote:
vegetariantaxidermy wrote:It's a steam valve. I think it's been around for as long as language has. If you don't have a safety valve your head will explode.
To make the thread more interesting, do you then think that cussing reduces fighting since it acts as a steam valve, or does it lead to more fighting? (I think the latter is more likely)

PhilX
It would mostly depend on whether the profanity is one sided or two sided. If one person is blowing off steam and is not being provoked the situation might die on it's own, but if both sides are escalating the situation, it could erupt into violence.
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Re: What is the purpose of cussing?

Post by uwot »

Philosophy Explorer wrote:Is there any rationale to cussing?
The most common use for a swear word is harmless hyperbole, but the primary function is to offend the easily offended. You can tell a lot about a person by their reaction to a carefully placed swear word.
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Re: What is the purpose of cussing?

Post by thedoc »

The environment is very influential in the use of profanity. After college I spent 7 years teaching in a Jr. HS and simply did not develop that aspect of my vocabulary. Then I worked in machine shops where every sentence had one or more curse words in it, and I don't believe the people talking like that realized how often they used that kind of language, it was just second nature to them.
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Re: What is the purpose of cussing?

Post by ForCruxSake »

Like love and snow, there seems to be different types of 'cussing'. Despite their differences they all seem to evoke offence from those who hear them. We've been conditioned to react negatively to expletives. Are 4-letter words hazardous to the health like e-numbers or preservatives in our food?

I was talking to a cancer survivor last week, as part of some charity work, I was involved with. It was an intense conversation, peppered with with humour. Unbeknown to me, and out of my direct vision, a child was sat nearby. Now, I'm not given to using expletives consciously, unless I'm angry. I'm unaware when I use them for emphasis, or hyperbole as mentioned by another forum member, it's casual, so when I was tapped on the shoulder by one of the administrators, who had to point out I was swearing in front of a child, I apologised profusely and the conversation, I was having, my point for being there, was cut short. There was no following an admonition.

I understand the social protocol not to swear in front of children but not it's imperative. It's not as if I could influence the child to adopt swearing, that, they get from their parents and their peers. When a stranger swears it often has the opposite effect on a child, who may, in parroting a parent, exercise negative judgement on the stranger. Maybe it's good to have strangers swearing in front of children as it reinforces the protocol that they should not swear.

What's wrong with swearing anyway? I know it's wrong, I just don't know why?
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Re: What is the purpose of cussing?

Post by thedoc »

ForCruxSake wrote:Like love and snow, there seems to be different types of 'cussing'. Despite their differences they all seem to evoke offence from those who hear them. We've been conditioned to react negatively to expletives. Are 4-letter words hazardous to the health like e-numbers or preservatives in our food?

I was talking to a cancer survivor last week, as part of some charity work, I was involved with. It was an intense conversation, peppered with with humour. Unbeknown to me, and out of my direct vision, a child was sat nearby. Now, I'm not given to using expletives consciously, unless I'm angry. I'm unaware when I use them for emphasis, or hyperbole as mentioned by another forum member, it's casual, so when I was tapped on the shoulder by one of the administrators, who had to point out I was swearing in front of a child, I apologised profusely and the conversation, I was having, my point for being there, was cut short. There was no following an admonition.

I understand the social protocol not to swear in front of children but not it's imperative. It's not as if I could influence the child to adopt swearing, that, they get from their parents and their peers. When a stranger swears it often has the opposite effect on a child, who may, in parroting a parent, exercise negative judgement on the stranger. Maybe it's good to have strangers swearing in front of children as it reinforces the protocol that they should not swear.

What's wrong with swearing anyway? I know it's wrong, I just don't know why?
Interesting story, but I can only answer from a religious point of view, Christian and Lutheran in particular. It's related to the commandment to not take the Lord's name in vain. I know all profanity does not invoke God's name but it has all been lumped together in this category. It has been my experience that the more religious a person is the less profanity they use, and I understand that this rule is not hard and fast, but it is a general rule, those who attend a church, tend to use less profanity.

FYI, my mother used to say that a person who used profanity, didn't have enough vocabulary to express themselves adequately. I don't agree with that 100% but I think there is some truth in it.
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Re: What is the purpose of cussing?

Post by vegetariantaxidermy »

To enable kkkristians to feel righteous and superior to satanic infidels.
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Re: What is the purpose of cussing?

Post by Londoner »

thedoc wrote:The environment is very influential in the use of profanity. After college I spent 7 years teaching in a Jr. HS and simply did not develop that aspect of my vocabulary. Then I worked in machine shops where every sentence had one or more curse words in it, and I don't believe the people talking like that realized how often they used that kind of language, it was just second nature to them.
I think that it can be a way of signalling that the other person has approached some sort of line, that a discussion has become personal.

Did the people in the machine shop have some alternative way of indicating this; that certain cuss words were just part of normal speech but that others were kept in reserve for when you really meant it?

I have found that when mixing with rough and dangerous company, often everyone is scrupulously polite. Presumably because if you are amongst that sort then the risk of any misunderstanding can be catastrophic. By contrast, when you are with people you have known for a long time you can be as rude as you like.
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Re: What is the purpose of cussing?

Post by ForCruxSake »

thedoc wrote:
ForCruxSake wrote: What's wrong with swearing anyway? I know it's wrong, I just don't know why?
... I can only answer from a religious point of view, Christian and Lutheran in particular. It's related to the commandment to not take the Lord's name in vain. I know all profanity does not invoke God's name but it has all been lumped together in this category. It has been my experience that the more religious a person is the less profanity they use, and I understand that this rule is not hard and fast, but it is a general rule, those who attend a church, tend to use less profanity.

FYI, my mother used to say that a person who used profanity, didn't have enough vocabulary to express themselves adequately. I don't agree with that 100% but I think there is some truth in it.
I don't particularly agree with profanity and, yes, an adequate vocabulary means we can muster the words to say anything well, but that doesn't explain profanity.

I dislike profanity because it shows a lack respect for the feeling of others, who might find it offensive. Some of those people may well be language fascists who deserve to be offended but, generally, it's impolite. It shows a lack of control. But which of us wants to be in conscious control of every word spoken? That would be such hard work. It also compromises 'truth' (whatever that may be?!)l,in that when we utter something without thinking, it's often more 'true' than what we construct.

People catching themselves swearing might substitute other acceptable words. I often exclaim "sugar" or "fudge" when I am semi-conscious of an expletive making its way along my neural pathways. Does that make "sugar" or "fudge" any the less contentious if the intention was to swear? I think not. It's not the intention behind swearing that offends but the words themselves. Both 'Red Dwarf' and the second incarnation of 'the TV series Battlestar Galactica', invented their own swear words, that never quite made it into the colourful language of the real world (although 'frack' in the real world has its very own real world significance, that could well crossover into the world of its fictional counterpart!) They were designed to create a cultural relevance to an alternate reality, which makes expletives culturally relevant, whether real or fictional.

And who dictates what is offensive or not? I think it has become unfortunate when religious dictats spill out into a world where religion seems to have become defunct. Religion can be great as a way to self-determine ones own spiritual path, and I have great admiration for those whose religious beliefs have turned them into caring human beings, whose wisdom is sought out, but when religion begins to institute decrees to all and sundry, who may agree or not, then it becomes a problem. It may well be that this taking of offence to swear words, is a hand me down from the 'politeness' instituted in the old days that were dominated by religion... But that was then. This is now. Is it time to let go of the offence caused by words other than calling out God's name in vain?

Our language should set us free. It's not the most adequate of tools but it's the best one we have with which to express ourselves and form connection. Is it time to set 'cussing' free, too?
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