Forgive me for font size and timing, something is messed up with my blog :(
F*CK!!!!!!!
To many, seeing or hearing this word can be shocking and offensive. Others find "profane" words to be totally acceptable and appropriate for everyday use. I believe that a person's stance on swearing stems from a number of factors.
I personally grew up in a house where swear words were NEVER uttered. N-E-V-E-R. In fact, I remember the day I first heard the F-word, and a friend of mine took turns saying it back and forth in my basement, saying "oh that can't be a swear word!! it sounds so silly!! F**K!!!". Needless to say, I learned somehow that it was, in fact, a profane word, and did not repeat it too many more times.
On the spectrum of cuss words, they exist in varying levels of offensiveness and severity, and I would argue that many people include at least a few in their everyday vernacular. "God" is considered by many to be an inappropriate word to use in certain situations, but many many people continue to use it, off handedly. But there are some words that simply shock your ears when you hear them in certain settings! They leave you reeling and distract you from what is being said. But who decides which words are the most severe?? Certainly meaning partially determines this, but what about examples of lesser severe words that mean the same thing: "shit" and "poop" and "feces" mean the same thing, yet one is widely shunned and one is part of the title of a childrens book (Everybody Poops!).
Religion can be one authority that determines appropriate vocabulary. Laws or policies can determine appropriateness too. But I believe personal preference and exposure to the words truly determines what words a person will use. Like me, I grew up never using swear words, yet now I use them quite often and freely. Sometimes I believe they simply describe my feelings better than non-cuss words. But I know that it was a gradual slope for me to begin using these words. After hearing them from friends and in media, I grew desensitized to them, and found them quite descriptive or funny. Thus, I converted, and now I swear like a sailor.
I choose not to swear yet most of my friends around me have swear words in their day to day vocabulary. If I am serious about something and trying to get their attention or a point across, some times I do swear. When I do this they know that I strongly believe in this point and it makes my statement stronger than if I would swear on a daily basis.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this post. I also grew up never hearing swear words. However I, too, swear all the time. I always say I am going to stop - but it never happens. They just come out of my mouth like nothing. No word really surprises me anymore. Sometimes I don't even know if a person swears because I have been so used to hearing profanity. Another reason why it is hard for me to stop is because I don't understand why a curse word is a curse word. Who declared what was a "bad" word anyway? I believe that a lot of people are desensitized to swear words now.
ReplyDelete