Profanity

You hear profanity every day, and it's used so frequently that it's the norm. And although profanity is often viewed as highly offensive and vulgar many people use profane words freely and receive it freely. What are your views on swearing, and do you think it matters whether we use the words or not? Do you think children should be isolated from it?

I personally have no problem with it. Profanity is basically a social construct as far as I'm concerned. Yet you have to realize that tolerance of profanity is not exactly widespread, and that certain situations require certain etiquette, etiquette that may discourage profanity. I'd say a majority of a child's life takes place in such a formal setting (school, playing with other kids, etc.) that we should try to tone it down on the swearing around them. But as long as they understand when and why it becomes inappropriate, I guess I have no issue.

I've been back and forth with profanity. Up until a certain time in high school I used profanity often and then stopped for a couple years, which ended up with me apprehending most of my friends for doing so. Having been in an environment where swearing is common, it was difficult for me not to engage in such behaviour so now I'm back to using it and being okay with it so long as someone doesn't use them profusely. Children these days are going to constantly surrounded by individuals who use profanity so it's hard to completely isolate and protect them. So long as they don't learn too young and use it inappropriately towards another person it should be alright. Once their profanity becomes out of hand is when a problem arises.

Anyone who knows me well enough knows that I am not here for the think of the children mentality that so many people cling to, especially when it comes to taboos in society. Profanity is something that children are exposed to from a very early age, and the less that its used around them, the more intriguing it is to them. Most children are exposed to profanity by their peers, and most children seem to use it more than we as a society seem to realize they do.

My attitude mainly contributes towards all of my opinion, and I have a pretty laid back no big deal attitude towards almost everything. Because of that, I don't have a problem with profanity and don't see why people make it out to be any more than what it is: words. Even though I'm someone who believes that words are one of the most powerful weapons in the world, they're given that power because we give it to them ourselves.

Ideally, people should not use profanity, but sometimes it's hard to resist the urge to use it. When I'm angry, I make heavy use of profanity. It's something that is part of daily life. I don't think people should be saying profanity around children, but sooner or later children are going to hear profanity and it's the parents' job to educate them about it.

My imam once gave a speech about how frequent profanity has a negative impact on people. I wish I could take his advice better, as I'm guilty of using profanity quite often. I probably swear more than most of my friends, but many of the kids I went to school with swore even more than I do.

I don't mind profanity and I wouldn't restrict children from it.
Think of it this way; people say it's "bad"--I say it's just words. Words mean what you make them--a bed is only a b, an e and a d, but we've decided that these 3 letters combined means we refer to the furniture we sleep in; profanity works the same way, so a common curse is only an arranged order of letters, nothing more. Some people have decided it's "bad" and "ugly"--I say every word has a charm for it.

Togfan said:

I don't mind profanity and I wouldn't restrict children from it.
Think of it this way; people say it's "bad"--I say it's just words. Words mean what you make them--a bed is only a b, an e and a d, but we've decided that these 3 letters combined means we refer to the furniture we sleep in; profanity works the same way, so a common curse is only an arranged order of letters, nothing more. Some people have decided it's "bad" and "ugly"--I say every word has a charm for it.

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I like the way you put it and it led me to thinking that profanity is only bad if placed in the wrong context. By themselves, they're just words, but once you put them into a sentence and a demeaning one at that, it becomes an attacking word.

I agree with what Raine said above.

Personally, I don't mind swearing and etc. I use it quite a bit, maybe a little too much, haha. I can't stand the c-word though. I just don't like it.