4 ms·

It is a poor man who relies upon swearing to have an impact upon his readers or listeners. I view it similar to "Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.

It is a poor man who relies upon swearing to have an impact upon his readers or listeners. I view it similar to "Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent." Swearing may get the attention of people though it seems like a quick fix that won't last. You know what else gets people's attention? Slapping them. :P What is more lasting is effective teaching skills and telling stories well and to do these well it requires practice and study. Instead of swearing try asking a good question that will get them thinking and again, good questions usually take preparation and it's not 'bad' to prepare questions as some people seem to think all good questions must be thought up on the spot. The author mentions that it's more likely that Americans (Or rather, native English speakers) find the words more 'offensive' than other countries and I've noticed this too in a few Asian countries. For example, when I was in the Philippines and we'd be talking to kids/teenagers and some would outright swear (Sometimes at you) though were ignorant of it's true meaning/effect and simply had heard it on movies/TV shows and the internet.

semanticist 15y ago
Don't assume that everywhere that speaks English has the same monoculture. A very strong aversion to swearing is, as far as I can tell, specifically American. I'm Scottish and I swear more or less continuously, using words that are considered to be the 'most offensive'. This isn't 'trying hard', it's simply a cultural artefact, a side-effect of growing up working class in a particular place in the world. This kind of reaction to swearing is really just parochial nonsense. (On the other hand, if you do have a character trait that some people consider a flaw, you might as well go out of your way to own it, and so: http://theswearingrubyist.com/ http://theswearingrubyist.com/ )
- dorian-graph 15y ago
  In case people are assuming I'm American, I'll clarify. I'm not American, at all. My father is from Glasgow and I was born in Australia (Australians are known for their liberal swearing, it's the culture, apparently)—what other culture aside from Scots and Australians swear more and are less likely to be offended by it? ;) With flaws/weaknesses I agree that they should be 'embraced' so that they can be improved upon and if needed, removed, and not to use flaws/weaknesses as excuses which may be for poor behaviour/actions/whatever. It seems a common idea so far here and in most places is that 'not swearing' is inherently a religious side-effect. I have friends who are not religious and maintain their concepts of good, clean speech, of valuing what they say.
  - vacri 15y ago
    It seems a common idea so far here and in most places is that 'not swearing' is inherently a religious side-effect. I have friends who are not religious and maintain their concepts of good, clean speech, of valuing what they say. Two of the most proficient users of profanity I know are a pair of linguists, mother and daughter. They are both heavily passionate about the English language and will engage on the topic for hours at length if you let them. Both think that books are sacred and have groaning bookshelves. The mother was an editor for a very long time and has articles in peer-reviewed journals on the topic, the daughter is a speech pathologist. They are very proficient in English, and know the science and arts behind it, far more than the vast majority. They are proficient in getting communication across in a variety of ways, and both of them regularly use profanity in casual speech. It's a total and utter misconception that 'people who really care about language don't swear'. Anyone spending time with passionate linguists, speech pathologists, and English Lit enthusiasts will know that use of profanity is not uncommon amongst that demographic.
    - dorian-graph 15y ago
      > It's a total and utter misconception that 'people who really care about language don't swear'. Anyone spending time with passionate linguists, speech pathologists, and English Lit enthusiasts will know that use of profanity is not uncommon amongst that demographic. That isn't quite what I was implying. There is a difference between being aware of how beautiful languages are and being able to mechanically use them well and those who value what they say and the effect of them. An example is, I have a friend in the Philippines who when speaking while she does not have an exhaustive vocabulary (I'm not talking about English but her native tongue), as she is from the lower class and most simply use the conversational version of their dialect, obviously valued what she said and would do her to best to simply speak well, convey her ideas, have tact, etc. Then there are those I know who do care for what they say though swear as well so we return, apparently, simply to one's opinion of profanity. Out of that comes understanding and respect. People who have been in support of this person's blog post have been told to loosen up, implied that they're puritants, mocked, etc. I've seen the same happen in other respects like at university I overheard a group of people commenting about another student because she chose to dress well and not reveal half her body and they said she was a religious nut and other derogatory things. Funny thing is, she's not religious. Here and elsewhere people have said, basically, "I'm going to swear and I don't care if you're offended" and while I find the concept of being offended usually ridiculous it shows a lack of understanding.

semanticist 15y ago

Don't assume that everywhere that speaks English has the same monoculture. A very strong aversion to swearing is, as far as I can tell, specifically American. I'm Scottish and I swear more or less continuously, using words that are considered to be the 'most offensive'. This isn't 'trying hard', it's simply a cultural artefact, a side-effect of growing up working class in a particular place in the world. This kind of reaction to swearing is really just parochial nonsense. (On the other hand, if you do have a character trait that some people consider a flaw, you might as well go out of your way to own it, and so: http://theswearingrubyist.com/ http://theswearingrubyist.com/ )

dorian-graph 15y ago
In case people are assuming I'm American, I'll clarify. I'm not American, at all. My father is from Glasgow and I was born in Australia (Australians are known for their liberal swearing, it's the culture, apparently)—what other culture aside from Scots and Australians swear more and are less likely to be offended by it? ;) With flaws/weaknesses I agree that they should be 'embraced' so that they can be improved upon and if needed, removed, and not to use flaws/weaknesses as excuses which may be for poor behaviour/actions/whatever. It seems a common idea so far here and in most places is that 'not swearing' is inherently a religious side-effect. I have friends who are not religious and maintain their concepts of good, clean speech, of valuing what they say.
- vacri 15y ago
  It seems a common idea so far here and in most places is that 'not swearing' is inherently a religious side-effect. I have friends who are not religious and maintain their concepts of good, clean speech, of valuing what they say. Two of the most proficient users of profanity I know are a pair of linguists, mother and daughter. They are both heavily passionate about the English language and will engage on the topic for hours at length if you let them. Both think that books are sacred and have groaning bookshelves. The mother was an editor for a very long time and has articles in peer-reviewed journals on the topic, the daughter is a speech pathologist. They are very proficient in English, and know the science and arts behind it, far more than the vast majority. They are proficient in getting communication across in a variety of ways, and both of them regularly use profanity in casual speech. It's a total and utter misconception that 'people who really care about language don't swear'. Anyone spending time with passionate linguists, speech pathologists, and English Lit enthusiasts will know that use of profanity is not uncommon amongst that demographic.
  - dorian-graph 15y ago
    > It's a total and utter misconception that 'people who really care about language don't swear'. Anyone spending time with passionate linguists, speech pathologists, and English Lit enthusiasts will know that use of profanity is not uncommon amongst that demographic. That isn't quite what I was implying. There is a difference between being aware of how beautiful languages are and being able to mechanically use them well and those who value what they say and the effect of them. An example is, I have a friend in the Philippines who when speaking while she does not have an exhaustive vocabulary (I'm not talking about English but her native tongue), as she is from the lower class and most simply use the conversational version of their dialect, obviously valued what she said and would do her to best to simply speak well, convey her ideas, have tact, etc. Then there are those I know who do care for what they say though swear as well so we return, apparently, simply to one's opinion of profanity. Out of that comes understanding and respect. People who have been in support of this person's blog post have been told to loosen up, implied that they're puritants, mocked, etc. I've seen the same happen in other respects like at university I overheard a group of people commenting about another student because she chose to dress well and not reveal half her body and they said she was a religious nut and other derogatory things. Funny thing is, she's not religious. Here and elsewhere people have said, basically, "I'm going to swear and I don't care if you're offended" and while I find the concept of being offended usually ridiculous it shows a lack of understanding.