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Are bad words bad?
- Thread starter Olivia
- Start date
there are a few examples of well bad words are well, just words
a female dog, for example is called a bitch. if you saw one in the street and said oh, look at the bitch is that being bad?
no it isn't. because it's refering to a dog.
it's the same with roosters. they are cocks. it's perfectly acceptible to refer to a rooster as a cock, because that's what they are called
I do think words are just words in the end. my mother never hid them from me, and as soon as she thought I'd understand it, she introduced me to south park and encouraged me to copy what they said.
oh my god, you killed kenny, you bastard. that's not a bad thing to say. it really isn't.
a female dog, for example is called a bitch. if you saw one in the street and said oh, look at the bitch is that being bad?
no it isn't. because it's refering to a dog.
it's the same with roosters. they are cocks. it's perfectly acceptible to refer to a rooster as a cock, because that's what they are called
I do think words are just words in the end. my mother never hid them from me, and as soon as she thought I'd understand it, she introduced me to south park and encouraged me to copy what they said.
oh my god, you killed kenny, you bastard. that's not a bad thing to say. it really isn't.
I think it really depends on context, there can be words that can carry different implications depending on what context they are being used within. So I don't think words will always have moral values outside of the contexts within which they get their meanings. Although this is essentially the case for all words. As they only make sense within their appropriate contexts. Some can have a wider range of questionable meanings however. For instance I once asked a close friend at work if she was "still doing that pedo thing?" Firstly, it turns out pedo can't be used as shorthand for pedometer, which is really obvious in hindsight but in the moment I was too lazy to say the whole word so just shortened it. Secondly that even without intention words can have consequences that go beyond the intention of the speaker.
Personally I don't care about profanity. The moment I came into this world I've been hearing those words (parents used them a lot) so I don't really see what the big deal is.
The only reason I will avoid using certain words in certain situations is because other people are sensitive.
The only reason I will avoid using certain words in certain situations is because other people are sensitive.
They're just words and we should be allowed to use them freely. I'm not advocating being disrespectful, just telling it like it is. There are times when only a good ould swear will do!
Inherently, no. There's connotation vs denotation. The former being the meaning behind what a word insinuates as opposed to the literal meaning. Some people find "bad" words bad because of their experiences with using it or having it be used against them. I tend not to take too much emotion from words unless it's coming out of the mouth of someone I love or care for deeply.
Yes, they can be used to attack people, but at the end of the day, they are just words. If you get offended by me saying "fuck", that's a 'you' problem. Not me, not society. You. I grew up around people who swore, it's my primary language. Some people do it, and some don't. There's definitely a time and place for it, though. Shouldn't be swearing at work, but in your personal time, or if you're out and about somewhere, go for it.
I started cussing when I was young, and never took offense to cuss words. They're just words used to express your feelings right? The only bad words are derogatory ones used to be racist, homophobic, transphobic, etc. That's the only time I'll take offense to a word.
Depends. I was brought up in a totally non swearing household and told it was a sign of being cheap and ignorant.
Later I married a military man and of course every other word is effing this and effing that, so I got used to hearing it and adopted it into my speech.
For me it's a useful way to emphasise how you feel about something, give it some punch if you like, although I never use that type of language around people I know will be offended. It's about respect at the end of the day
Later I married a military man and of course every other word is effing this and effing that, so I got used to hearing it and adopted it into my speech.
For me it's a useful way to emphasise how you feel about something, give it some punch if you like, although I never use that type of language around people I know will be offended. It's about respect at the end of the day
Yes, words can be bad, but they are never just words especially if the person who wants to use it has explicit intent behind them.
For example..
A person that is angry at the result they get when they use a certain N word toward a marginalized group that has been explicitly affected by it and can't without being seen as a racist or anti-semitic, can't just say "oh, it is JUST a word" when they themselves make an issue about the consequences when they use it, because deep down, they know themselves that it is NOT just a word, because, if it was, they themselves wouldn't want to use it. No one complains about not being able to use a words unless they have been told about the consequences that could come from it. This also applies to the other words that are used toward other marginalized groups.
Typically those who make the "just a word" argument know that their reasons for wanting to use it are obviously false, but they are cowards that just want to be able to use that particular word and not have negative consequences behind it. They are just trying to gaslight that group and are trying to escape their reaction to both the word in question AND being gaslit about it and their reaction to the offender. It kinda reminds me of a little kid that is angry that they can't curse in front of their parents without having to put soap in their mouth or being grounded as punishment. Or being on a no junk food diet but can't eat a slice of cheesecake or bag of Doritos.
Words are never just words and I think deep down people know that.
But they can also trigger an extremely emotional response because these certain words often have history, pain and trauma attached to them and they cannot be separated. For a lot of the marginalized groups, these exact words were usually among the last things we heard before things became violent toward us, or our loved ones who died under the same circumstances.
For example, when I was a kid, I was bullied for many reasons, but mostly because I was often the only girl in class, the only of two Black kids in class, and the fact that I was the only one born in Germany.. so I was often subject to both N words growing up. I have but called both just as often. (Even the other Black kid in class bullied me about being born in Germany and because I was light-skinned, so I got the trifecta of racism, colorism AND anti-semitism.. lucky me right?)
But the reason I don't react in the way the offender expects me to when they used it against me, is because that person isn't worth my freedom so I don't get angry, I just stay cool and respond in kind and it is usually at that point things come to blows because they had already started swinging in response. If you can control your emotions in a fight you usually will prevail.. and in that one, two blows sealed the deal and they got expelled for starting it.
For me, whenever I hear someone use those N words against me, I see the trauma my Black ancestors went through with it and that violent imagery comes with it in the same way I see it with "Nazi" because I know the history, but the former is more personal to me because I am Black and I heard my ancestors stories about everything they went through with it. But I am still not going to react in the way someone expects. Not because I think that "it is just a word" but because, if you don't control your emotions and your reactions to other people, then they also control you, and I refuse to relinquish that power to anyone.
But, that is just me though.
My friend, on the other hand, has a lot more trauma behind that word than I do, not only is he much darker and darker people of any ethnic grouping are usually treated worse by society than fair skinned people.. and he has pretty much heard it in every stage of his life and especially in the military.
So, if that person [from a non-marginalized group] (let's face it, it is ALWAYS someone from a non-marginalized group with this EXACT complaint) the very first part of my post were around my friend complaining about not being able to use the " Hard R" version of the N word, then his fist might be down that man's throat (if offender is male, if female then he can be more surgical with his tongue against against her and will respond in kind) the moment he utters "Nigg-" (it is all in the "I" sound before the "G") so obviously with him, the "Soft A" version will get the same response.
And we have debated about this fact many times.
My position on that word is use it if you want, but don't complain about the consequences if you receive them, because they may vary and you will deserve the reputation you end up with.
That said, whenever someone asks why they can't use these certain words without an angry response from that affected group and others and ending up with a negative reputation as a result and I usually ask them 2 questions.. but they only answer one.
1. Do you know the history of the word and exactly what it means to the group that gets angry and why they do so?
A. Yes.
2. Knowing what you do about that groups history with that word, why would you even want to use it around them?
A. *blankly stares in silence*
Fin.
For example..
A person that is angry at the result they get when they use a certain N word toward a marginalized group that has been explicitly affected by it and can't without being seen as a racist or anti-semitic, can't just say "oh, it is JUST a word" when they themselves make an issue about the consequences when they use it, because deep down, they know themselves that it is NOT just a word, because, if it was, they themselves wouldn't want to use it. No one complains about not being able to use a words unless they have been told about the consequences that could come from it. This also applies to the other words that are used toward other marginalized groups.
Typically those who make the "just a word" argument know that their reasons for wanting to use it are obviously false, but they are cowards that just want to be able to use that particular word and not have negative consequences behind it. They are just trying to gaslight that group and are trying to escape their reaction to both the word in question AND being gaslit about it and their reaction to the offender. It kinda reminds me of a little kid that is angry that they can't curse in front of their parents without having to put soap in their mouth or being grounded as punishment. Or being on a no junk food diet but can't eat a slice of cheesecake or bag of Doritos.
Words are never just words and I think deep down people know that.
But they can also trigger an extremely emotional response because these certain words often have history, pain and trauma attached to them and they cannot be separated. For a lot of the marginalized groups, these exact words were usually among the last things we heard before things became violent toward us, or our loved ones who died under the same circumstances.
For example, when I was a kid, I was bullied for many reasons, but mostly because I was often the only girl in class, the only of two Black kids in class, and the fact that I was the only one born in Germany.. so I was often subject to both N words growing up. I have but called both just as often. (Even the other Black kid in class bullied me about being born in Germany and because I was light-skinned, so I got the trifecta of racism, colorism AND anti-semitism.. lucky me right?)
But the reason I don't react in the way the offender expects me to when they used it against me, is because that person isn't worth my freedom so I don't get angry, I just stay cool and respond in kind and it is usually at that point things come to blows because they had already started swinging in response. If you can control your emotions in a fight you usually will prevail.. and in that one, two blows sealed the deal and they got expelled for starting it.
For me, whenever I hear someone use those N words against me, I see the trauma my Black ancestors went through with it and that violent imagery comes with it in the same way I see it with "Nazi" because I know the history, but the former is more personal to me because I am Black and I heard my ancestors stories about everything they went through with it. But I am still not going to react in the way someone expects. Not because I think that "it is just a word" but because, if you don't control your emotions and your reactions to other people, then they also control you, and I refuse to relinquish that power to anyone.
But, that is just me though.
My friend, on the other hand, has a lot more trauma behind that word than I do, not only is he much darker and darker people of any ethnic grouping are usually treated worse by society than fair skinned people.. and he has pretty much heard it in every stage of his life and especially in the military.
So, if that person [from a non-marginalized group] (let's face it, it is ALWAYS someone from a non-marginalized group with this EXACT complaint) the very first part of my post were around my friend complaining about not being able to use the " Hard R" version of the N word, then his fist might be down that man's throat (if offender is male, if female then he can be more surgical with his tongue against against her and will respond in kind) the moment he utters "Nigg-" (it is all in the "I" sound before the "G") so obviously with him, the "Soft A" version will get the same response.
And we have debated about this fact many times.
My position on that word is use it if you want, but don't complain about the consequences if you receive them, because they may vary and you will deserve the reputation you end up with.
That said, whenever someone asks why they can't use these certain words without an angry response from that affected group and others and ending up with a negative reputation as a result and I usually ask them 2 questions.. but they only answer one.
1. Do you know the history of the word and exactly what it means to the group that gets angry and why they do so?
A. Yes.
2. Knowing what you do about that groups history with that word, why would you even want to use it around them?
A. *blankly stares in silence*
Fin.
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Guess everyone I know is cheap and ignorant.
You can add intelligent to that list too..
Swearing Is Actually a Sign of More Intelligence - Not Less - Say Scientists
The use of obscene or taboo language - or swearing, as it’s more commonly known - is often seen as a sign that the speaker lacks vocabulary, cannot express themselves in a less offensive way, or even lacks intelligence.
www.sciencealert.com
In my culture (Romani gypsy) we swear like troopers as kids even though a) we don't even know what the words mean at the time; b) we have very strict attitudes to sex and things like that.
Personally I don't care and I'm often what some would consider foul-mouthed.
But that doesn't mean I'm being rude.
Most 'bad words' are only socially taboo because of some elitist class type of attitude.
Personally I don't care and I'm often what some would consider foul-mouthed.
But that doesn't mean I'm being rude.
Most 'bad words' are only socially taboo because of some elitist class type of attitude.
You can add intelligent to that list too..
Swearing Is Actually a Sign of More Intelligence - Not Less - Say Scientists
The use of obscene or taboo language - or swearing, as it’s more commonly known - is often seen as a sign that the speaker lacks vocabulary, cannot express themselves in a less offensive way, or even lacks intelligence.
Really? Good to know
