Fucking shit cunt cock pussy bitch whore slut ass.

Ah.

Bad words.

Why are they bad?

Seriously, I don't get it. Bad? How can a word be bad? Why are we all hung up on it?

Because the word represents something that we associate with something negative, "bad".

Originally posted by Yes
Because the word represents something that we associate with something negative, "bad".

Words are context dependent.

I might say "you my brother, are fucking cool?".

In that context, "fuck" has no negative connotation.

It is cultural most probably and it is probably the meaning behind the word more than the word itself.

A word can be offensive to people and so why go out of your way to bring an offense to somebody else.

Some parents find it offensive to so "bad words" in front of little kids and so not to disrupt peace, one should probably hold his tongue in good nature.

When I was in kindergarden, some kid went around flicking everyone off including the teacher and so I was going home with my bro and sis and flicked them off, not knowing what it meant. I was then punished when I got home for doing this gesture and told it was bad. In that case, It was bad because I had no meaning behind it. To everyone that wasn't ignorant, it was a very disrespectful gesture to use.

Call me a pacifist.

Yes, some of the "bad" words has become so commonly used that they have lost their original negative association, like fuck and shit for example, and perhaps ass too. But these haven't quite yet: "cunt cock pussy bitch whore slut". And as you said, they have to be put in context too. How can "cunt cock pussy bitch whore slut" be put in a context that makes them appear less negative? Not so easy, yet. Maybe if tone of voice and facial expressions could be included.
What is more interesting is how words describing the genital area have become "bad". Should we blame religion?

Originally posted by Yes
Should we blame religion?

I wonder what No! and Maybe might think. Hmm. hehe.

Should we blame religion?

Why blame religion unless you believe that Morality is in direct connection with God and Religion.

Lets say that the word hi became an explicitly negative word, then out of my own moral code, I would refrain from saying that where it may cause somebody to get upset or cause disrespect. Now if you say that the reason that hi is a bad word is because it says in the bible that we aren't supposed to say hi, then you derive morality from religion.

Now I believe morality has a lot to do with religion, but religion was made by man that deemed certain ideas/teachings as being uplifting and beneficial to the progression of civil man.

Do Not Murder. Well, this would be deemed as a civil and beneficial thought right? Thus morality is born.

The religion question was not totally serious. Maybe an ;) was in order.
I asked because I thought of who viewed sex ( hence the "bad" words describing genitalia and what you do with them) as something bad, and mostly religions do that. People who has no religious beliefs tend to not view sexuality as something negative, well, depending on the religion of course. I'm sure there are sex-religions too. But why should sexuality be seen as something negative in amoral aspect? Where did that idea come from?
As you said people who invented the religions also invented the attaching morals, so what was the point with this special "bad"?
To control people from breeding compulsively? Not spreading diseases? Or just common oppression?

Originally posted by Yes
"cunt cock pussy bitch whore slut

What I really wonder, (having many "feminazi" friends) is why only one of these "bad" words refers to men/male genetalia?:bugeye:

Maybe beacuse womens sexuality is viewed as a big moral no-no, and mens not.

Originally posted by wesmorris
Words are context dependent.

I might say "you my brother, are fucking cool?".

In that context, "fuck" has no negative connotation.

It doesn't to you but many will still take offense in the employement of the word in your compliment.

It all really breaks down to weather you prefer words on their true meaning and interpret their usage as something related to their true meaning (or how they are percieved) or like you said "context dependant"

I for one would thank you for such a compliment but were you to follow that statement up with "but you can be a fucking prick" then I take offense....so I am like you. I find words to be context dependant most of the time. I doubt a nice old lady would appreciate "Bitch, you are a fucking nice ass old ho, unlike them other old fucktards".

A better question would be: how come the English language has so few bad words while other languages have many more?

"fucktard" Now there's a good word :)

I like bad words and I like using bad words. While I'm inclined to be less liberal with my dirty-word usage around the grandma-in-law, I don't do much to check my language usually.

The point about genitalia being used as bad words struck me, because it's something I've been trying to work out of my speech patterns and have had a very difficult time with. It seems to me that genital- & sex-related words ought to convey good and nice ideas, because they're such good and nice things. But when I refer to someone as a dick, I mean "jerk." That just doesn't seem fair to all the really nice dicks there are in the world. So I'm trying to use other forms of profanity. That's where fucktard will come in handy :)

Honey,

Do you remember that Seinfeld where George got stuck watching this dudes stuff for him and he disappeared, never returning so hours later he's forced to take of with the stuff. THen later, after having driving Jerry insane regarding it, George asks some dude on the street to do the same thing and the guy is all "pfffft. no fucking way, like i'm gonna get stuck standing here for hours like an idiot?" and walks away and then jerry looks kind of stunned and says "I'm gonna go be this guys friend." and scurries down the street after him? LOL.

Okay so I just liked what you said. Fucktard is a great word for sure.

Words aren't bad, IMO, it's how you interpert them that either makes them bad or ok.

I seriously use to say "what the shampoo" in order to clean up my vocbulary.

But the word "Fuck" just has this unnatural allure, it has to be said..."Shit" and "Damn" aren't fer behind.

"Bad words" are merely a matter of opinion, only is it through a conformist world that we associate these words with being bad, its just like the faith in a dollar bill, its only worth a dollar because we have all been informed that it is worth a dollar

I've tried using fucktard and I end up giggling as I say it. I think it's something I'll have to get used to. Another recent addition to my list of really good bad words is cumdumpster. Man, that just gets the idea across without prettying it up. Heh :)

I don't think I've seen that Seinfeld, wes, but I chuckled reading your description :)

Originally posted by wesmorris
Fucking shit cunt cock pussy bitch whore slut ass.

Why are they bad?


Speak for yourself. I don't think those words are bad, I think they're great! We need more and better words like them in our language.

The power and meaning a word has is a function of the context, like the others have said here - don't you think?

Actually I think these words are used too often - so that they lose their power. I am usually a mildly-spoken person - I save the power words for times when they really count. So... when someone who knows me hears me using the power words, they know I am truly pissed (or astounded, or whatever the situation calls for).

By the way, you didn't include:

cocksucker
or
motherfucker

which can be special, given the right circumstances.

You also didn't include papaya-felching monkey-rancher!

Or maybe like the Maestro used to say, "You can suck my sacroiliac."

Originally posted by BigBlueHead
You also didn't include papaya-felching monkey-rancher!

Or maybe like the Maestro used to say, "You can suck my sacroiliac."

Yeah, those are good ones!

You have to know your audience - for someone who might be a bit homophobic, "cocksucker" can have special significance; "motherfucker" can still deliver a shock, when uttered to a goodly Christian.

its a taboo thats all it is.

Hmmm..... it's true that even now some of such words are often used in daily conversation; I've heard lotsof it. And unless I'm all alone, I ain't saying that still. (those who check my posts, notice that I seldom wrote those 'f's, 's's, 'a's etc. Just seldom, not never). Funny me, right, trying to maintain good image in speech but awful in deeds.....

It's not only profanity, but every word that we use is context dependent.

"Surely you have noticed the curious fact that a certain word, which is perfectly clear when you hear or use it in everyday speech, and which presents no difficulty when caught up in the rapidity of an ordinary sentence, becomes mysteriously cumbersome, offers strange resistance, defeats all efforts at definition the moment you withdraw it from circulation for separate study and try to find its meaning." Paul Valery, Selected Writings

Of course, Wittgenstein made this same observation. Words only have a meaning in the context that we use them. All dictionary definitions are ultimately circular. We mean by our words just what we think we mean; no more, no less.

Michael

So true... but most people seem to think that what you mean by your words is what they think you mean. Our illustrious members tiassa and spookz are notorious (to me anyway) for their vigilant assertions of what I mean. Even when attempting to correct the meaning, they still insist that their meaning of what I mean supercedes my own.

Is this the nature of interpersonal conflict? I think so.

Mal-aligned context.

i think maybe the sexual words offend in puritanical america simply because they are sexual.

i *do* know why fuck, piss, and shit are though of as "bad" words. anglicans saw the saxons as lesser people to themselves and so their words were crass.

Anglican: copulate
Saxon: fuck

A: urinate
S: piss

A: defecate
S: shit

there may be more but those are the only ones i know of.

Hey Wes,

Yes, it's true that conflicts can arise out of misunderstandings. But it's also true that conflicts are often avoided because we hide our intentions so well. Diplomacy has been called the art of saying "Nice doggie" until you can find a stick. But in truth, the use of diplomacy alone is often sufficient to ease tensions without us needing the stick. Human relationships would be far more antagonistic if we hadn't a means to keep our individual thoughts secret.

Regards,
Michael

But it's also true that conflicts are often avoided because we hide our intentions so well.

I do not belong to that "we". I am terrible at hiding my intentions. Hmm. Your point is valid in that many people do, but many people do not, well.. not entirely true I suppose. Hard to say as "intention" gets muddled when you account for "denial". For instance if I'm in denial that I hate you, and I say to you "you smell bad", you might really smell bad to me, and my intention is to tell you "you smell bad"... but is there another intention below that one?

Diplomacy has been called the art of saying "Nice doggie" until you can find a stick. But in truth, the use of diplomacy alone is often sufficient to ease tensions without us needing the stick.

You mean a stick to throw so the doggie can fetch, or are you thinking about beating him with it? Yeah you're right, but diplomacy only works if all parties involved actually want to communicate. If a party insists that their meaning of your meaning simply negates your meaning, diplomacy is pretty meaningless. Fistacuffs ensue. Somewhat unavoidable.

Human relationships would be far more antagonistic if we hadn't a means to keep our individual thoughts secret.

Well sure they would be at first, but we'd adapt or die don't you think?

If it had not been drilled in each of us from the second we were injected into societies that genitals were bad, we'd be walking around with tits, dicks and clits out like the Zoe do in the amazon.

Bitch was a biggie back in the 50's but lost its stigma in the 80's with the chick flick. Asshole and shit are slowly making their way into the lexicon by mass media...and little by little we're being weaned off the shame of blurting out 'fucking' in public.

Context driven is your answer, Wes. And its Big Brother that slowly decides whether "fuck my peehole" is a bad thing to say, think, or hear.

Wes wrote:
Well sure they would be at first, but we'd adapt or die don't you think?
That's a good question, Wes. Since you've correctly noted that some of us are not very good at hiding our true intentions (BTW, neither am I), then wouldn't it follow by your last assertion that we would have already either adapted or died? I suggest that there has been a heap o' dying for every adaptation, and I think your question will likely remain unanswered up to the end of human existence. No matter how genteel and stable the present society, the possibility of backsliding into barbarism is ever present. Civil behavior is an artifice that we created. We don't fall into it, we struggle to maintain it.

"Only part of us is sane: only part of us loves pleasure and the longer day of happiness, wants to live to our nineties and die in peace, in a house that we built, that shall shelter those who come after us. The other half of us is nearly mad...and wants to die in a catastrophe that will set back life to its beginnings and leave nothing of our house save its blackened foundations."
Rebecca West, Black Lamb, Gray Falcon

Whatever part of myself I manage to civilize always will coexist with the ape-man within me. The ape is always there, patiently waiting for a chance to rape your daughter or cleave your head. Reason alone is insufficient to hold back the ape-man within all of us. Love and compassion are far more effective devices at keeping the ape in chains.

The Nazi's, to use an extreme example, despite their anti-intellectual bias were no idiots. Their engineers and technicians, in particular, were imminently reasonable men. What was lacking in them was not sufficient reason but sufficient compassion. If it is to my clear and overwhelming advantage to kill you, then no amount of my reasoning will save you. On the contrary, it's my reason that condemns you. All that can save you is my compassion. In a letter dated 1785, Thomas Jefferson wrote:

"An honest heart being the first blessing, a knowing head is the second."

Regards,
Michael

Reason alone is insufficient to hold back the ape-man within all of us. Love and compassion are far more effective devices at keeping the ape in chains.

I would contend that reason should lead to love and compassion...

The Nazi's, to use an extreme example, despite their anti-intellectual bias were no idiots. Their engineers and technicians, in particular, were imminently reasonable men. What was lacking in them was not sufficient reason but sufficient compassion.

Hmm. Good point. I wonder though. See here is the thing: "sufficient" (just like my "should" above I suppose) is dependent on perspective. I'd guess the nazis found their level of compassion perfectly sufficient. As a matter of fact, it was given their task. If I'm aiming on getting rid of a disease, I will kill it based on the compassion I have for those who might suffer from it were I to fail to act. That's how they viewed the jews. So yeah your point is there, but the context/subjectivity of it melts it down.

No matter how I try to look at it, I can see another way to look at it ya know? I mean in trying to put a stake in the moral landscape, I can't find it. If I think "okay, how about 'survival of the species'" then I have to ask "how does the species survive?" then I think "well, food, shelter, no disease" but then people argue about what a disease is, how much food is required, and what shelter is acceptable! I can't figure how to say "the nazis were absolutely wrong". I can only figure to say "To ME those goddamn nazis were way wrong." Hell what if one of the jews they killed would have been the next, worse hitler that would have started a nuclear war? What if one of them was einstein's intellectual daddy? What if what they did, though more horrifying that we can imagine, actually inadvertantly saved the species? *shrug*

Pardon, it's easy to get lost in there.

If it is to my clear and overwhelming advantage to kill you, then no amount of my reasoning will save you. On the contrary, it's my reason that condemns you. All that can save you is my compassion. In a letter dated 1785, Thomas Jefferson wrote:

"An honest heart being the first blessing, a knowing head is the second."

Man how do you keep track of all those quotes? You use them beautifully. I could never do it. That's nice quote.

I would add though, that sometimes two different honest hearts with knowing heads... end up on the opposite ends of a mortal struggle. Sometimes, our lives just put us on different teams and it's damn near impossible to quit. I'd say on a mass scale it is impossible. One guy can come to his senses, but a million? Hehe, let's hope the guy in charge has the honest heart, knowing head and a pursuasive argument. Maybe I'm confused or jaded.

Hi: :)
When do you use bad words? when you are angry and you want to insult somebody. Anger, unconrolled,is too bad. Insulting others is bad too. So we use not obscene word in order to avoid injuring someone` s feelings.
People, even in a special society, are brought up in different cultures. For some people using bad words is as easy as drinking water and they can endure it easily when they are addressed with those words . But for some it is heartbreaking. Those words go deep inside. Thanks

Ok, someone had to do it. Here's a link to the Australian Macquarie Dictionary Book of Slang. The Macquarie dictionary is a serious legitimate publication. Scroll down to "fuck" and read the definitions after that...

http://www.macquariedictionary.com.au/anonymous@FFC57171489+0/-/p/dict/slang-f.html

Now y'all know why we swear so much...

Favourite of mine...

26. would fuck a hole in the ground if it smiled at him, a phrase used to deride a sexually desperate male
:p

Oh jeez, ear muffs! :D