Why do people have such a problem with swearing?

Question

Why is swearing so frowned upon? They are just words, and like all the words in our language they have an ancient history of their use, so what's wrong with using them? It's not the meaning of the word that causes offence, it seems to be just the word itself, I mean I can say "sex" but I can't say "f**k".

Need to make this question a bit clearer. I'm not asking why can't we go around swearing all the time, I'm just wondering what gave these words their power in the first place? It's not the meaning of the word because there are common words that mean the same thing, but aren't taboo. It's not because they are considered inpolite as there are also other words that can be impolite yet not considered swearing, like saying "what" instead of "pardon", and these words have a long history like the most taboo of all swear words "c**t" actually comes from the latin word "cunnus" meaning a groove or slit, so these words are correct English, so what makes them bad?

Answer 1

I agree.

What you say with words is much more important than which words you use to say it. I can give a compliment using swear words, and I can say the most vile things with the vocabulary of a child.

A word is just a collection of syllables. It is not inherently good or bad. The "rudeness" of a word is just an arbitrary social designation. We tend to be very prudish in this society, so words refering to sex tend to be considered "rude". It's only rude because society has deemed it to be. Society changes, though. There are words that were deemed swear words centuries ago that have lost that negativity.

BTW, it is a flawed argument to say that not using certain words increases your vocabulary. Sorry, but having more words you can use to describe something is what increases it. So, using swear words actually improves your vocabulary. I think that euphemisms kill it.

Answer 2

I'm a repeat offender I'm afraid, but if I hear my children swear (only once and he is seventeen) it makes me seethe. There are other ways to express yourself, but swearing beats them hands down. Some words are definately more offensive than others, hence the blanket ban on expletives. The only time I find swearing disconcerting is when it is used in every day language, just not necessary! I like a good expletive, for example when I hit my hand with a hammer on Wednesday, swearing just made me feel so much better. Mind you looking at the bruise I'm surprised I didn't swear a lot more!! Merry Christmas.xx

Answer 3

It's the language of an ignorant, uneducated, and just plain rude person. Using those words around friends and family may be appropriate, at times, but the general public, strangers and coworkers, doesn't want to hear it.

Moreover, curse words, vulgarities, usually are just a simple sign for a lack of vocabulary.

Being dumb, ignorant, and stupid is no way to go through life.

Answer 4

First, see a therapist or a doctor to make sure you're actually not troubled by melancholy. in the event that they do away with that as a achievable reason, then i does not difficulty too lots approximately it. I used to cry alot at your age, too. life will ultimately provide you attitude and advance you up, yet interior the interim, don't be afraid to cry as an outlet to your emotions. anybody's gotta enable them to out some way, and crying slightly is a lot fit than another techniques, you comprehend? stable success!

Answer 5

So very very true! Mind over matter, if we don't mind it don't matter. Tolerance for all types of behavior is more difficult for me to deal with like someone in the store this evening accusing my husband of animal cruelty because my husband choose all the same flavors for our cats next week entre! Has the world gone mad???????? That one I must admit I must work on daily because of stuff like that. The cussing I can manage to look past. Its going to get to be a very interesting world within the next one hundred years because its getting too crowded on this earth. Lets hope we don't kill each other off because violence is getting pretty bad out there these days.

Answer 6

Just a matter of what makes you sound disrespectful. I don't care if you swear around your friends, but I would rather you didn't do it in restaurants and grocery stores in front of my grandparents or little kids. It a matter of kindness. Caring about the feelings of strangers can be a good thing.

Answer 7

Because, if you pepper all your conversations with f**king this and f**king that, what do you use to express extremes of emotion, anger etc? I don't have a problem with swearing in context, but using these words as punctuation devalues their power and spoils the fun of swearing for the rest of us!

Answer 8

It probably started when "cultured" people thought that certain words were "inapropriate" because they were used by poorer people. Eventually, kids of lower and lower classes were taught that those words were "bad". Sometimes they are just insulting, and people dont want other people to use them.

Answer 9

Everybody swears it's only certain people that claim that they don't. Swearing is fine by me.

Oh yes. This is for the person who claims that it's MANORS not to swear. It's actually MANNERS. You stupid c*@t

Answer 10

these words have power simply because we give them power. if you use them all the time they lose that power and then they are useless. i try to limit my swearing, so that when i do it, it carries a whallop.