Nex-Falx said:
Why do people swear constantly? It's like people are trying to reach a record sometimes... I'm 19 and I've never sworn, depending on what you consider a "swear", I guess. I've never/don't feel the need for it. I don't have a problem with it. I just don't partake myself...
So, wtf people, what's up with all the swearing?!
How much do you swear, and why do you swear period? When and why did you start swearing? Was it was when you were a kid, because it seemed cool and edgy, or when you were semi-adult, because why not?
(People keep thinking they're tagging me for this, so let's address it right here... WTF is said in a moment of mock ignorant irony there. Let the discussion continue!)
Ok then, lets pulls this apart. First, what is swearing in this case? According to you, you have a definition of swears and a set of rules to differentiate the two. But I've yet to here how you define swearing. Is damn a swear, or nuts? even in different regions, there are different forms of swearing that mad no sense in others, such as Bellend. Here, a bellend sounds like a literal bell end while in England it means the tip of the pole, if you catch my drift. So to understand your position, you need to define what constitutes "swearing."
Next, participation and your pseudo slip. In your post, you mention that the wtf was supposes to come off as ironic mockery, which is fine in this case. What you fail to see is that wtf has certain connotations that don't necessarily mean swearing. Its original meaning has transformed over time, taking on a new form. even the "f" part has its own subset of meanings that act toward its original purpose.
Like when you talk about "pushing the envelope," you are talking about taking a risk, not pushing an actual envelope. Even this phrase had a different function in the past. Originally, it meant not pushing the flight envelope or the designed safety perimeters of a plane. test pilots would have to push the plain past these boundaries to test their effectiveness. The phrase then stayed in common parlance in its current form.
As for why people do it. I can't speak for everyone but I use then Expletive attributives. these words can convey strength of feeling and ensures the listener of the tone of the words. over time, these swears become normative and lose their strength while others change to appear harmless. look up the word 'zounds. As of now, it is harmless onomatopoeia but in Shakespeare's time, it was highly offensive.
So, I place it back on the table and ask everyone: Are word really that harmful? Swears words only carry weight if you place that weight on it. Like Stephen Fry said, people are "only shocked on the behalf of other people."
