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I've entertained this idea for some time, but I can't really see how they can develop into full blown general curse words. I have to consider that perhaps I'm n

I've entertained this idea for some time, but I can't really see how they can develop into full blown general curse words. I have to consider that perhaps I'm now just part of the crowd that holds them as sacred, and that newer generations will start intelligently using them as swears and slowly grow their acceptance, but that still doesn't feel very compelling. I read this article trying to pull out any parallels to see what I might be missing, but still didn't get anything. I think that kind of progression has actually run its course within the narrower contexts it has been able to - take back the word empowerment, etc. But breaking out into the general societal context seems impossible as long as those words still acutely hurt significant contingents of people, as most people don't want to casually engage in hurtful behavior. Then again if America loses the election on Tuesday, perhaps society will just regress to the point where most people are just fine stoking group hatred (it's cheaper than bread or professional circuses, after all!), and "general" acceptance will happen that way. I still don't personally see myself taking part though, despite being otherwise quite enthusiastic about swearing.

eigenspace 2y ago
> I've entertained this idea for some time, but I can't really see how they can develop into full blown general curse words. I think what you mean by "full blown general curse words" is what I'd actually call "faded dying curse words" if what you mean is that it's something you could say in casual conversation without people thinking less of you. By the point that a curse word is used for emphatic punctuation, it's because the people using it don't actually believe the word holds real power to do harm, it just carries residual power because of a cultural memory of a time where it was taboo to say the word. So I think these slurs would only become part of a regular persons vocabulary of merely 'rude' words if regular people stopped thinking they were doing real harm by uttering them.
- mindslight 2y ago
  But there are still plenty of casual contexts where one can use traditional curse words, and they will still have an impact. Making people think less of you is not the main dynamic of curse words (and they don't have a monopoly on that either!). Rather cursing is about openly transgressing social mores to display some combination of exceptional emotion plus (not being beholden to) social status. It's basically saying "I'm going to reject this thing you care about." So unless those words stop being routinely used for ignorant personal attacks, I don't see how swearing with racial slurs could become trendy for anybody but racists rejecting the idea that racism continues to be a problem. A decade ago I had more of an idealist post-racist outlook and could have believed that in a few more decades we'd be at the point where these words would have lost their deeply personal punch, with their only lingering effect being to cause pearl clutching (and who doesn't want to needle pearl clutchers?). But at this point that looks to be a pipe dream. Which is why I say it's a similar dynamic of words being off limits, but it's not actually the same. Some social mores have fundamental merit, believe it or not.

eigenspace 2y ago

> I've entertained this idea for some time, but I can't really see how they can develop into full blown general curse words. I think what you mean by "full blown general curse words" is what I'd actually call "faded dying curse words" if what you mean is that it's something you could say in casual conversation without people thinking less of you. By the point that a curse word is used for emphatic punctuation, it's because the people using it don't actually believe the word holds real power to do harm, it just carries residual power because of a cultural memory of a time where it was taboo to say the word. So I think these slurs would only become part of a regular persons vocabulary of merely 'rude' words if regular people stopped thinking they were doing real harm by uttering them.

mindslight 2y ago
But there are still plenty of casual contexts where one can use traditional curse words, and they will still have an impact. Making people think less of you is not the main dynamic of curse words (and they don't have a monopoly on that either!). Rather cursing is about openly transgressing social mores to display some combination of exceptional emotion plus (not being beholden to) social status. It's basically saying "I'm going to reject this thing you care about." So unless those words stop being routinely used for ignorant personal attacks, I don't see how swearing with racial slurs could become trendy for anybody but racists rejecting the idea that racism continues to be a problem. A decade ago I had more of an idealist post-racist outlook and could have believed that in a few more decades we'd be at the point where these words would have lost their deeply personal punch, with their only lingering effect being to cause pearl clutching (and who doesn't want to needle pearl clutchers?). But at this point that looks to be a pipe dream. Which is why I say it's a similar dynamic of words being off limits, but it's not actually the same. Some social mores have fundamental merit, believe it or not.