swearing, what is swearing and why is it bad?

midgetpro74 · **Posted:** August 15th, 2011, 7:26 pm

personally, i don't see the difference between the words crap, and ****, what makes the word **** so much worse? i personally believe that it is really the context and tone it's used in that would determine what i feel about what someone is saying. like if someone playfully and jokingly said, "you little piece of ****" i would laugh, if someone was like ***** at me and called me a piece of crap, it would set me off a lot more. tell me what you guys think about this.

Adbot · **Posted:** August 15th, 2011, 7:26 pm

Kevin · **Posted:** August 15th, 2011, 7:37 pm

They're just words. You can convey offensive remarks without using any swear words. Think your mom would get more offended by you telling her to go back to the kitchen and make you a sandwich than you telling her to stfu

Duke Juker · RSBandB Donor since 07/01/2010

It all depends on how the person who hears it takes it. Some people don't care for bad language and some people don't care at all. If everyone started using the word ****, it would probably cease to be a bad word, but rather become a common accepted one.

Kenny · **Posted:** August 17th, 2011, 1:50 am

Like people have said, it the way the words are construed. For example, in Southern England, calling someone a 'cow' is considered almost banterish and not offensive at all. However calling someone, a woman in particular, a cow in Northern England can be taken so much worse and I've had friends and family who havent talked to other relatives because they called them a cow :lol:

Pennstate315 · Runite Member 5-25-10

I guess swearing is using words society deems inappropriate. But when it comes down to it, each individual has to decide what words they think are offensive, and which ones their okay with.

Warren · **Posted:** August 17th, 2011, 6:46 pm

I heard from someone, dunno if it is true, that a lot of swear words are because of old taboos. I.e. you weren't supposed to talk about *** before, so "****" is inappropriate. Same idea for "****". But they can be referred to "curse" words so maybe it has religious connection.

As for being bad to say them, it really isn't. They become bad depending the situation and how much you care about whether or not the people you're interacting with are offended by them. Also, as with all words, have to think of context and whether there is even a purpose of using them in certain places. XD

Adbot · **Posted:** August 17th, 2011, 6:46 pm

Earth · **Posted:** August 17th, 2011, 7:51 pm

Words are vibrations of the vocal cords in your body. Some vibrations are considered offensive by some.

Uncle Dano · **12 99's on 12/12/12!**

For me personally, society does not dictate to me what is "acceptable" and cool. I am my own person and I make decisions for myself based on what I truly believe in. Just because a certain demographic in a certain part of the world thinks that something is "cool" and should be acceptable, doesn't mean that everyone has to follow suit. Swearing is only one example of where "societal norms" *clears throat* *mutters under breath: 'give me a break'* are pushed upon everyone to legitimize what to some is unacceptable behaviour... to the point of demanding that everyone accept it as "normal", and if you don't you are an intolerant, discriminatory bigot.

What we must remember is that when we interact with other people, especially a large group of people, such as in an MMORPG, we are interacting with people from different backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, religions, cultures, communities, etc. Not everyone has the same values, morals and standards as you do. Some may be offended by the use of some words. (In any context.) Due consideration of this is the only way you can ensure that you give everyone the respect that they deserve.

From a different perspective also, regardless of your age, if I interact with someone and they don't swear in normal conversation, I regard them as much more mature, intelligent, and worthy of respect than someone who does swear. That, you might say, is being judgmental. Right or wrong, it is how some people may look at you. How do you wish to be regarded by others? As "fitting in with the in-crowd"? Or, as someone who appears very respectable in everyone's eyes? Can't see someone saying: "I respect you man cause you swear".

Just my honest, humble opinion as a deputy owner of the Knights of Honour.

Jay · **Posted:** August 18th, 2011, 12:04 pm

Uncle Dano wrote:

What we must remember is that when we interact with other people, especially a large group of people, such as in an MMORPG, we are interacting with people from different backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, religions, cultures, communities, etc. Not everyone has the same values, morals and standards as you do. Some may be offended by the use of some words. (In any context.) Due consideration of this is the only way you can ensure that you give everyone the respect that they deserve.

This is precisely the reason for age restrictions on MMORPGs. If you aren't mature enough to realize that people on the internet will say what they want, when they want, then you don't really belong in said environment. If those people insist on playing and demanding their own respect in an MMORPG such as RuneScape, well there's a button for them here:

Uncle Dano wrote:

From a different perspective also, regardless of your age, if I interact with someone and they don't swear in normal conversation, I regard them as much more mature, intelligent, and worthy of respect than someone who does swear. That, you might say, is being judgmental. Right or wrong, it is how some people may look at you. How do you wish to be regarded by others? As "fitting in with the in-crowd"? Or, as someone who appears very respectable in everyone's eyes? Can't see someone saying: "I respect you man cause you swear".

Just my honest, humble opinion as a deputy owner of the Knights of Honour.

I do say that is judgmental. Racist people exist too, and just because they do doesn't justify making character assessments on people based on their appearance. Assuming people are intelligent based on how they speak is not really any different. People are raised in different environments and have different dialects. If someone is brought up in an area where swearing is common, chances are they are going to pick it up as regular vocabulary. That doesn't really make them stupid, immature, and unworthy of respect. It's not like they chose where they were born and raised, either.

Also, when you say you shouldn't swear to be in good regard with others, doesn't that contradict everything you've said in the first paragraph? You say that you make your own decisions based on what you believe in, so why should one dictate their speech based on what others believe in?

Warren · **Posted:** August 18th, 2011, 12:07 pm

Like I said, it really depends how much you give a **** about what the person you're interacting with thinks about you. As well as situational context (i.e. at a job interview it's probably not in your interest) and context in general (i.e. even someone who doesn't care won't see it as a good thing if someone is trying their best to swear in their sentence as much as possible). If someone views you as immature for using a word, big deal, you probably view them as immature for caring. Why should they care about what you think of them?

As for the norm, I don't think it has anything to do with forcing people to accept it. If people feel certain words are inappropriate, so be it, doesn't mean you have to adjust for them unless you care or is in your interest to care. Same way, if people feel certain words are appropriate, so be it, doesn't mean you have to adjust for them. They will criticize you and you will criticize them because in the end neither way is an attack on things you can't change. You can find what you want offensive but my thoughts toward it is it's better to be offended by as little as possible, and a mere word is so trivial that I'm not going to waste my energy. And if it is "legitimized" obviously most people have the same attitude toward it, because they made their own choice.

(I don't consider it disrespectful when someone is offended by your actions that are not meant to be an attack or disrespectful, by the way)

Uncle Dano · **12 99's on 12/12/12!**

What I was trying to get across is this: Some people defend their actions by saying that society in general deems them to be acceptable and normal. Well, that really depends on what society you belong to, as different parts of this huge Earth have different societies. So that means that what is normal and acceptable in one society, culture, community, etc. is not necessarily the same for all. They are not wrong in having different values, they are just different.

By example, I have heard the argument that "Well, all my friends swear, so it's O.K. that I swear and people shouldn't be offended, because that is what is "normal" and "acceptable" in society." That argument is only concerned with self, is limited to only one facet of society, and has no consideration of others. While an ethic of "I will try and conduct myself so as to not offend anyone, taking into consideration that they may come from a different background", does portray respect.

It is totally O.K. to swear amongst a group of people that you KNOW would not be offended, such as your friends within your own community that also swear. However, I do not believe that behaviour that you are comfortable with, within your own group of friends, should be able to be transferred across the board when dealing with everyone. In an environment where you do not know if someone would be offended, because they are NOT from your culture or society, you should not assume they would not or should not be offended. That's just not considerate of others. That's not pushing any one particular value upon someone else, that is just plain respectful consideration. There is a difference.

Within the RuneScape community we are a diverse group of people from all over the world, of different ages, both male and female, from vastly different communities, demographics, cultures, religions, etc. Everyone should be treated with the utmost respect.

Warren · **Posted:** August 19th, 2011, 12:31 am

[color=#00BF40]-> Enter situational context. But for an MMORPG:

jay wrote:

+add ignore

And even then, yeah you're right. People are so diverse that it is impossible not to offend someone. You may be talking about how good beef is around someone who is from a country where it is unacceptable to eat cow. You've now disrespected them. You may be talking about how inhumane it is to do mass slaughters of sheep around someone from a country where that is the national sport. You've now just disrespected them. You may be talking about how funny EpicMealTime is in front of a PETA activist. You've now just disrespected them. You may be talking about how good veggie burgers are in front of someone who is offended by non-meat food. You've now just disrespected them. OH NO!

Consider this: interacting with someone who comes from a culture where it's offensive to not swear every second word. Doesn't mean you do it to respect them lmao./color]

Uncle Dano · **12 99's on 12/12/12!**

Yes, it is very difficult to know if what you say might offend someone. Your examples include situations where you may not be aware that the TOPIC of the conversation may offend someone because of their cultural beliefs. That is a little different than the words used to express one's self, regardless of the topic.

Consider this:
Definitions from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary
swear: to use profane or obscene language
profane: obscene or vulgar
obscene: 1: disgusting to the senses : repulsive
2a : abhorrent to morality or virtue; specifically : designed to incite to lust or depravity
2b : containing or being language regarded as taboo in polite usage
2c : repulsive by reason of crass disregard of moral or ethical principles
vulgar: a : offensive in language
b : lewdly or profanely indecent
indecent: grossly improper or offensive

Whoah!!! What's that?!?!? Swearing = OFFENSIVE language (by definition).

I rest my case.

One must ASSUME that swearing, in the context of having a conversation with someone where you are not sure if they mind, is offensive and NOT generally acceptable. Speaking about topics which are generally by definition acceptable topics to speak about under normal circumstances (eating beef for example) is not the same as using a particular type of language to express yourself, where the type of language by definition is offensive.

Just the facts. Case closed.

Forged · **Posted:** August 19th, 2011, 6:35 am

I don't really have a stance on this, but I also follow Dano's opinion of when I met someone and they are swearing and/or being offensive I'm a surprised. If its with your friends that's completely different, and I swear a lot around my friends, but there are situations where it isn't really needed, such as Runescape.

Jason B · **Posted:** August 20th, 2011, 10:32 pm

only swear word I occasionally use is hell, all the other ones have screwed up meanings,,,,,,,,,,

Quiet annoying when people swear on runescape, its just a game. Btw I know this is a non-runescape discussion.