Swearwords increasingly used for emphasis and to build social bonds, rather than to insult, say academics

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    16
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    It should be diluted. Language should not have that power over our emotions. Swearing becoming an extension of a purely descriptive lexicon is a good thing IMO.

    Poetic language and rich prose should be the standard for emotional conveyance. That makes it special and rare. Allowing simple crass or boorish language to hold emotional power is what cheapens the concept of language having power.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      41 year ago

      You can still pack a punch with swearing, you just gotta get creative about it.

      Swearing is to language what capsaicin is to food. It’s not required, in some circumstances it makes things worse, but in many other it would be a real shame to deprive oneself of it, especially for a reason as stupid as “but I’m going to increase my tolerance”. So fucking what? It’s not heroin, shit’s not going to put you into cardiac arrest if you take too much.