Profanity as language..or not?
@greenfeathers (1206)
United States
December 20, 2009 8:43am CST
During my initial internet wander this morning I came across a question of profanity and if it were a reflection of intelligence..and as I have gotten into this same general discussion at work a couple times, with less than warm and gentle response (you know by now how I is!), I figured I'd try to set a record as to how many folks I could get to fussin' and throwin' things at me..
In my opinion, profanity is not a reflection of intelligence, tho it can be a reflection of education which, of itself, is not a reflection of intelligence either..
It seems that some folks just use the use of profanity to define a lingual social orientation as in high language/low language disparity, disregarding content because of wording one finds offensive and, in turn, the speaker..As you've maybe figured, I don't agree with this because what takes a sound or an idea and makes it language is not the word, the education, or the speaker. What constitutes language and communication is understanding. Therefore, what one finds disaggreeable about a word is not the word but what one interprets it to mean and shifts the responsibility of the understanding over onto the user..hmmm..(incoming?)
Ok..I got my hard hat on..Can't find the chainmail..oh well..So what do you think and are you a user of this sociallly abusive language..?
3 responses
@JodiLynn (1417)
• United States
21 Dec 09
I use profanity to emphasize certain points when in a discussion.
For instance, at work last week, one of the girls was asking the older staff why it's frowned upon to date "in house", and I simply said "You don't schitt where you eat.", and she totally understood, immediately.
I am guilty of saying "Oh, WTF???" out loud about 77 times a day..lol
@greenfeathers (1206)
• United States
21 Dec 09
So its a part of your language as well, like verbal exclamation points..
ENJOY!
@elmare0699 (163)
• South Africa
21 Dec 09
I have to admit that I have a tendency to use profanity when I lose my cool, although I do not like it and always berate myself afterwards. I do not think that it is okay to use profanity socially and I think that many people use profanity to express their feelings because they do not know words that are appropriate in relation to the feeling that they wish to express, or can not think of the right word and thus use profanity. In my experience many people who use profanity socially do so because of the environment that they were brought up in. Good manners dictate that one should not use profanity, it is impolite and abrasive as most words considered as profanity have a harsh/explosive sound. Unfortunately too many entertainment medias allow the use of profanity sending the message to all and especially the youngsters that it is okay to use profanity.
Perhaps this is an issue that should be addressed at school level.
@greenfeathers (1206)
• United States
21 Dec 09
Well, I was raised with the colloquialisms..DANG, DARNIT, POO POO and my dad called just about everybody who PEEVED him off a SUCKER..And just to be individualistic I started EGADSing about just about everything...And those were acceptable explatives, but were cussing just the same even tho they weren't ***! cussing..oh well..ENJOY!
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
21 Dec 09
Hey greenfeathers! I must admit that although I am usually
considered intelligent, I do have a terrible habit of using
profanity! And, yes, I am guilty of using it quite often! And
I have quite a few friends that take major offense! They get
really angry if I start cursing! But, I honestly just can't
help it! I use it as part of my "everyday language"! And, as
a supposedly intelligent woman, they think this is just awful!
I have two female friends in particular who act as if I am
saying something that they've never hear anyone say before and
that I should be drawn and quarted or worse! I just tell them
to get over it! So, I'm not always lady like!
@greenfeathers (1206)
• United States
21 Dec 09
So its a part of language. I cuss too, perhaps more often than socially acceptable but its not a bother to me. I think of it in the same light as the various lingos that are all about and, as I said, since folks are offended by what they understand it to mean then they should spend more time working on how and why they think as they do than on how and why I talk as I do..I think, as well, that some folks confuse the profanity as street talk with blasphemy, which is something I try to stay clear of because that's a whole 'nother ballgame with a whole different team..Enjoy!
