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I don't think this gets to the heart of how words can become taboo in the first place. It's because they evoke associations and imagery in the listener's mind w
by wapapaloobop 11y ago
I don't think this gets to the heart of how words can become taboo in the first place. It's because they evoke associations and imagery in the listener's mind which are gross (e.g. bad smells, STDs, jealousy).
Moreover, the listener is complicit in this grossness because it's the listener's mind which generates the imagery. Gratuitous swearing isn't merely ugly: it actively lowers the tone of a conversation. Sometimes the tone needs to be lowered. But now it's harder for sensitive listeners to think, so we risk losing the benefit of their wisdom.
- pluma 11y agoOkay, but this only works for certain swearwords in certain cultures. It also assumes vigorous sexual intercourse (i.e. "fuck") is gross, which is either extremely prude or childish. I'd argue that some swearwords actually merely signify intensity and can be entirely neutral to the "tone of the conversation" (in terms of the subject matter and concepts the conversation can address). If you tell someone they did a "fucking great job" the only way that would affect the conversation negatively (sarcasm etc aside) would be if the phrasing offends the other person's sensibilities. I'm guessing the falls in the same category as the "mock insults" theory (i.e. close friends casually insulting each other to signal their intimacy rather than actually causing offense).
- noja 11y agoI don't agree. It depends on the word, but when I hear a swear word, I do not think of the image of the meaning.