Comments on: pretentiousness and profanity http://shutdownnow.com/2009/03/03/pretentious Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:49:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Dough http://shutdownnow.com/2009/03/03/pretentious/comment-page-1#comment-128 Dough Wed, 04 Mar 2009 02:37:43 +0000 http://shutdownnow.com/?p=56#comment-128 Wow, got comments more quickly than usual. :) And I'm completely surprised to see someone I don't know actually reading this crap. Two things: they probably have more effect simply because of their label; and even though they do have more effect, it still doesn't make them worse. Going off what Jared said -- isn't it actually more intelligent to be able to quickly and effectively communicate your point with fewer words? Why use 50 words to communicate your anger, surprise, or excitement when just a couple will do? Wow, got comments more quickly than usual. :) And I’m completely surprised to see someone I don’t know actually reading this crap.

Two things: they probably have more effect simply because of their label; and even though they do have more effect, it still doesn’t make them worse.

Going off what Jared said — isn’t it actually more intelligent to be able to quickly and effectively communicate your point with fewer words? Why use 50 words to communicate your anger, surprise, or excitement when just a couple will do?

]]> By: Jared http://shutdownnow.com/2009/03/03/pretentious/comment-page-1#comment-127 Jared Tue, 03 Mar 2009 18:01:20 +0000 http://shutdownnow.com/?p=56#comment-127 I've long thought the same thing: swear words are arbitrary. Interestingly enough the quote from the Ensign is quite literal. I like etymology and my sparse research has shown me exactly this: most "swear words" of today are simply the "slang of the poor" from centuries past. Fornicate was F@&# in the old world and S@#$ was used rather than defecate. As people could simply not be seen as "low class," they would refrain from using such words. Hence, the reason they became "bad." Interestingly, you'll find the same thing among different linguistic cultures. Did you ever wonder when watching a sub-titled movie if, say, portuguese really has a literal f-word? Having said all of this, I pretty much have always ignored social customs regarding this. Of course, I know how to speak around who, but anymore, I could simply care less. Unlike many others, I grew up hearing "bad words" all the time and have pretty much always used them. It's just part of who I am and the people who accept this in me are the one around whom I feel most comfortable. PS, I always get a kick out of the "low intelligence" argument. Some of the smartest people I know, swear the most. I could certainly choose other words to express myself, but there's something about the simplicity of using one word as a noun/pronoun/verb/adjective that makes my day. Oh, and sometimes I love shocking people. (: Whodda thunk? I’ve long thought the same thing: swear words are arbitrary. Interestingly enough the quote from the Ensign is quite literal. I like etymology and my sparse research has shown me exactly this: most “swear words” of today are simply the “slang of the poor” from centuries past. Fornicate was F@&# in the old world and S@#$ was used rather than defecate. As people could simply not be seen as “low class,” they would refrain from using such words. Hence, the reason they became “bad.”

Interestingly, you’ll find the same thing among different linguistic cultures. Did you ever wonder when watching a sub-titled movie if, say, portuguese really has a literal f-word?

Having said all of this, I pretty much have always ignored social customs regarding this. Of course, I know how to speak around who, but anymore, I could simply care less. Unlike many others, I grew up hearing “bad words” all the time and have pretty much always used them. It’s just part of who I am and the people who accept this in me are the one around whom I feel most comfortable.

PS, I always get a kick out of the “low intelligence” argument. Some of the smartest people I know, swear the most. I could certainly choose other words to express myself, but there’s something about the simplicity of using one word as a noun/pronoun/verb/adjective that makes my day. Oh, and sometimes I love shocking people. (: Whodda thunk?

]]> By: Billiam http://shutdownnow.com/2009/03/03/pretentious/comment-page-1#comment-126 Billiam Tue, 03 Mar 2009 14:41:37 +0000 http://shutdownnow.com/?p=56#comment-126 Neat article. I feel the same way mostly. For me, said bad words are something that I grew up not using, and still don't have them in my daily vernacular. Because of that, when I hear them, they stand out to me, and I've been taught they are bad. That said, they are words with more effect. Sometimes they can make something sound more funny to me. Sometimes it gives a phrase more weight. Probably most of all though, people tend to use the words when they are angry, and put an emphasis on the words, which makes it really hit home to whoever is listening. It's a neat study, and something that won't be going away any time soon. Neat article. I feel the same way mostly. For me, said bad words are something that I grew up not using, and still don’t have them in my daily vernacular. Because of that, when I hear them, they stand out to me, and I’ve been taught they are bad.

That said, they are words with more effect. Sometimes they can make something sound more funny to me. Sometimes it gives a phrase more weight. Probably most of all though, people tend to use the words when they are angry, and put an emphasis on the words, which makes it really hit home to whoever is listening.

It’s a neat study, and something that won’t be going away any time soon.

]]> By: Rick Boyer http://shutdownnow.com/2009/03/03/pretentious/comment-page-1#comment-125 Rick Boyer Tue, 03 Mar 2009 08:49:22 +0000 http://shutdownnow.com/?p=56#comment-125 Just wanted to say HI. I found your blog a few days ago on Technorati and have been reading it over the past few days. Just wanted to say HI. I found your blog a few days ago on Technorati and have been reading it over the past few days.

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