Why are ''BAD'' words bad?

[ThankQ]

Exactly my point. It is the intended communication that matters, not which collection of letters you use to communicate.

And some formations of letters have an attached understood meaning.

Only because people long ago decided so based on their opinions, not some universal right and wrong.

It is silly that we have attached stigma to some words, but not others, that mean the exact same thing.

 

[Brent]

Exactly my point. It is the intended communication that matters, not which collection of letters you use to communicate.

And some formations of letters have an attached understood meaning.

Only because people long ago decided so based on their opinions, not some universal right and wrong.

It is silly that we have attached stigma to some words, but not others, that mean the exact same thing.

Maybe silly, but it is how things are now in today's current society.

 

[ThankQ]

And some formations of letters have an attached understood meaning.

Only because people long ago decided so based on their opinions, not some universal right and wrong.

It is silly that we have attached stigma to some words, but not others, that mean the exact same thing.

Maybe silly, but it is how things are now in today's current society.

Yeah, I try to make it a point not to let myself fall into custom-induced insanity.

 

[Amaris]

^ True. What is right is not always popular, what is popular yada yada yada. Language is whatever we make it, so it is very arbitrary. Intent though, THAT never changes. I can say "Fuck you" or I can say "Live Long...and Prosper" and I could have the same intent in both, and in both I just insulted the hell out of you. One was said with flowery words, the other said directly, but the point's the same. I think it's this relentless need to euphemize, to cover our real meaning that has made it that much more difficult to have a simple debate or a simple conversation anymore.

J.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

^ True. What is right is not always popular, what is popular yada yada yada. Language is whatever we make it, so it is very arbitrary. Intent though, THAT never changes. I can say "Fuck you" or I can say "Live Long...and Prosper" and I could have the same intent in both, and in both I just insulted the hell out of you. One was said with flowery words, the other said directly, but the point's the same. I think it's this relentless need to euphemize, to cover our real meaning that has made it that much more difficult to have a simple debate or a simple conversation anymore.

J.

Case in point I call my brother a cunt, he calls me one, when we're playing a multiplayer game, and one of us beats each other. Neither of us take offense, we know it's only intended as playful. Now if some drunk guy comes up to you and in an aggressive tone calls me a cunt it has a different meaning entirely.
Intent, not the actual word is key in understanding which words should be offensive and which shouldn't.

I mean if I call you a dimwitted simpleton who should stop being a waste of oxygen, is that really worse than telling you you're a retard who should fuck off and die? Same intent, different words.

 

[RoJoHen]

I mean if I call you a dimwitted simpleton who should stop being a waste of oxygen, is that really worse than telling you you're a retard who should fuck off and die? Same intent, different words.

Well, if what you're telling them is true, they might not even understand the big words in the first example...so telling them to fuck off and die might even be better!

 

[Bob The Skutter]

I mean if I call you a dimwitted simpleton who should stop being a waste of oxygen, is that really worse than telling you you're a retard who should fuck off and die? Same intent, different words.

Well, if what you're telling them is true, they might not even understand the big words in the first example...so telling them to fuck off and die might even be better!

True, another reason why "Bad" words aren't always bad.

 

[Amaris]

Case in point I call my brother a cunt, he calls me one, when we're playing a multiplayer game, and one of us beats each other. Neither of us take offense, we know it's only intended as playful. Now if some drunk guy comes up to you and in an aggressive tone calls me a cunt it has a different meaning entirely.
Intent, not the actual word is key in understanding which words should be offensive and which shouldn't.

I mean if I call you a dimwitted simpleton who should stop being a waste of oxygen, is that really worse than telling you you're a retard who should fuck off and die? Same intent, different words.

Exactly. I can say the same thing you can, and use the word "brother" in place of "cunt" (I hate that word anyway). Does that make it better? No. The intended meaning is still there.


J.

 

[Praetor]

This thread make me feel so... enlightened.

Lesson learned: I can make any word a curse.

(Did anyone happen to see an "Inside Edition" story last week in which a young boy has started a "No Cussing" club and made some music video and goes around talking in schools? Point is, he gets death threats for it.)

 

[miraclefan]

Lesson learned: I can make any word a curse.

CRUK! FRAP! FRAGLE! CUVU! LINSTACK! METHTOE! MOGO! PRIASS! CUCK! SANTA! This IS FUN!

 

[Praetor]

Fregrumple, you stole my lesson.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Cthulhu this fhtagn.