is the use of Profanity the sign of a weak mind?

[mopaul]

some suggest that a person who 'curses' and uses a tiny handful of common expletives, is hiding his inability to use proper english or doing so because he's not too bright.

what do you think?

[SemperEadem]

1. lazy more than not being bright

but sometimes, a curse word just feels right in the moment. It can sum up a plethora of eloquence in the least amount of time.

[Selwynn]

2. I don't think too many would say I fail to have a sophisticated grasp of..

..english and grammar. They may say my opinions are moronic, or not personally like me, but not too many people charge that I have a weak mind or a poor vocabluary or an inability to use proper english...

...and I enjoy a well placed "Fuck" with the best of them.

I think what people should realize is that anyone can curse - however cursing well is a sophisticated art. :)

[blue neen]

3. What the f*ck are you talking about?

No, seriously, I agree with you. Chimp can't even put a noun and verb together; he definitely is lacking in the adjective and adverb departments.

[SheepyMcSheepster]

4. F*ck That!

there are people who curse that are beyond stupid.
there are people who curse that are beyond genius.

to declare that one's word choice represents the totallity of their vocabulary is umm.....uh......shitty!

:silly:

[dave123williams]

5. George Carlin - weak minded, yes or no?

What a fucking silly argument. Lenny Bruce; small intellect? Hunter Thompson has some kind of a problem imparting thought? George Carlin - there goes a cocksucker who could never string two words together...

Words are just that; words. They're all availible to form thoughts, because they're all valid parts of the language.

If you have a problem with the 'dirty' words, I'd suggest that you look within yourself to examine the possibility that the problem is with how you're reacting.

What is it about the word 'fuck' that makes a religious nutjob so uncomfortable, I wonder? Is it the word itself, or the religious nutjobs feelings about sex?

Just my $0.02.

[JVS]

6. That's fucking erroneous bullshit spread by pedantic assholes

[Jose Diablo]

39. Saaay, I like that "pendantic assholes"

Pendantic-something suspended: as a a) ornament (as on a necklace) allowed to hang free....

Pendantic asshole -an ornamental asshole concerned more with appearances rather than substance.

Thanks JVS, I will remember this one.

Edit: Wait a minute, you said pedantic, oh well. aOne who makes a show of knowledge, b One who unduly emphasizes minutiae in the presentation or use of knowledge.

Almost the same thing.

[Ducks In A Row]

7. Fucking Shit No!

[Redleg]

8. It depends. People who always curse, regardless of the situation

seem to lack an understanding of societal norms regarding the use of expletives. People who curse, for example, when they zip-up their penis in their zipper have a right to curse.

[No Mandate Here.]

9. I agree with lack of effort, but also lack of imagination.

Writers, especially, should take a bit of time to find the best words. Yeah, some are edited in, but I'll wager that more are edited out.

[Kierkegaard]

10. I vehemently deny that f#$ing surreptitious imputation!

Honestly, I find that well educated people tend to avoid the use of profanity. I think, however, that in addition to education, imagination plays a significant role.

I find that conjuring up an eloquent curse void of common swear words is much more entertaining.

[Sabriel]

30. It can be a social class issue, too, besides education

I would never dream of swearing in front of my peers (at a university), but when I'm with my former grad student friends, we let fly, even though we're all professors. We're also all former members of low-income families.

Profanity is highly politicized, and using it in the wrong situation or at the wrong moment signals to others that you're not in their Discourse (because they would never have done that).

[Djinn]

43. disagree

my folks are both Uni educated (Phd and Masters) Dad went to a VERY exclusive private school - both of them swear like wharfies.

obviously there's a time and place (i tend not to let fly in front of little old ladies for example) but it has nothing to do with one's command of teh english language nor ones vocab.

[Spider Jerusalem]

47. Right...but then, social class is the reason it's considered "profanity".

A little less than a thousand years ago, the Norman French invaded and conquered England, and displaced the Anglo-Saxons as the ruling class. Latinate words of Norman origin filtred into English, relegating their Anglo-Saxon counterparts to the status of "vulgar" (common) language. Thus "copulate" instead of "fuck", "defecate" instead of "shit", et cetera, were the "proper" words, because they were the ones the Norman ruling class used.

[Karenina]

11. Ahhhh...

FUCK IT.

[mopaul]

12. 2 guys are working on a church roof...

one smashes his thumb with a hammer and says, "Oh my goodness that hurts!"

[mumon]

13. I'd put it another way...

A person who avoids using common expletives at all costs is hiding his ability to use proper English, or because he's too timid to use colorful language.

[Spider Jerusalem]

14. Not necessarily.

Sometimes a well-chosen obscenity is le mot juste.

[RebelOne]

15. No, not until they use the "F" word.

Damn, Hell, Goddamn, Shit, etc. do not bother me because I use those terms myself, but I draw the line at the "F" word. I hate it and it really disturbs me that so many of you use it here on the forums.

[mopaul]

18. why?

[Selwynn]

19. Something you'll have to learn to live with.

I was going to add the f-word there, but then thought better of being so in your face about it.

You're still going to have to deal with it though.

[Spider Jerusalem]

20. Can we say "hypocrite"?

[readmylips]

16. Sign of Intimidation...like a dog barking...

once you kick him in the b*lls, it runs away. Wait till Edwards kills cheney in the b*lls, he'll run out with his tail between his legs. Like little bush, next day he'd want to have a second debate with chosen repigs.

[dumpster_baby]

17. The Elite don't like profanity-- profane political speech is very powerful

And if you can suppress profane political speech, you can keep your grip on power because it is like you have taken away a part of the lexicon, and you have decreased the power of those who have no power. See for example Orwell's book 1984.

[WLKjr]

21. Fuck the Fucking Fuckers

Thank you George Carlin.

A full sentence using a Verb, Adjective, and a Noun.


I have heard people curse when they are mad, like one poster said, like when you zip yourself up or smash your finger with a hammer while putting shingles on your roof or when that asshole on the cellphone that has a W04 sticker on his SUV cuts you off on the highway then brakes suddenly.

Those are moments that make me shout "DAMMIT THAT HURTS" or "Stupid SONUVABITCH! LEARN TO FUCKING DRIVE OR GET OFF THE DAMN PHONE!" or just plain out "ASSHOLE!" does the trick everynow and then.

that is just my 2 cents.

[951]

22. You know I've never heard Bush curse.

*cues dramatic music*

[dave123williams]

28. "There goes Adam Clymer, that asshole from the NY Times."

[K-W]

23. No No No No No No No

A weak mind? What kind of social darwinsistic idea is that? The genetics of the brain are only one amongst many other factors that informs any possible measure we can make of intelligence.

Language is a learned behavior. People who use expletives do so because that is how they have learned to talk. And if you learn to talk that way and you dont have significant negative consequences in your life you will keep talking that way.

[Misunderestimator]

24. Abso-fucking-lutely not!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

25. Profanity should be at most, an occasional spicy accent to one's speech

not every other word.

I came to this conclusion after working with street kids. They seemed to be incapable of using a noun without putting either "fuckin'" or "shitty" in front of it--or using "fuckin' shit" instead of words such as "stuff" or "whatchamacallit."

In their case, it was a combination of poor educational background (when I tutored them for their G.E.D.'s, I typically had to start at fifth grade level) and extreme anger at the world.

On edit:


Also, here's a practical note. If you use profanity all the time, what do you do when you're REALLY upset?

I don't know what's funnier: a furious foulmouth who has already used up his nastiest words to comment on the weather, or a furious Puritan who is trying not to say those nasty words.

[progressivebydesign]

37. I agree with your thoughts on it..

. I use profanity to make a point, to enhance the importance of a feeling when I'm writing.. I don't use much profanity day to day, and because I have a jr. high kid in the house, I am quite good at using it at only the appropriate moments. I did, however, forget she was in the back seat the other night and slipped.. she laughed so hard I thought she was gonna die.

[sweetheart]

26. It is a sign that the listener has big ego

Words are just words, some more eloquent than others, and all of
them voices of unique individuals speaking their minds and hearts.

Profanity is in the ego of the listener, making judgements and
creating opinions on class, education and whatnot.... "judge not
lest ye be judged."

[bicentennial_baby]

27. My professor always says

that using profanity only gives people a reason not to listen to what you have to say. I see his point, but I still curse like a sailor when in casual company.

[TahitiNut]

45. What people are 'given' is one thing. How they use it is up to them.

We cannot be 'given' reason ... or reasoning. We must acquire that ability for ourselves.

[Carson]

29. I think it should be used sparingly and minding what company you are in.

I have no problem with friends who occasionally curse, but when I meet a complete stranger and he/she curses during our conversation, I can't help but feel a bit put off. IMO, it's ill-mannered.

Perhaps it's the "Southern" thing.

Also, I hate when I'm with my child in public and someone is cursing LOUDLY for all to hear.

[alarimer]

31. maybe

I didn't use to say those words but now I can't stop myself. It's like once I broke the barrier of the "f" word, nothing is off limits. I like to use all of them at once in various combinations.

[LiberalPersona]

32. Yes, if used in improper situations like Cheney did, otherwise no n/t

[Jose Diablo]

33. Fuckin' A

However, being by nature one that lacks decorum and civility, cursing does not cause me any shame whatsover. Not even when I express myself colorfully such as expressing a strong desire to urinate on Reagan's grave.

[Swamp Rat]

34. Hmm, those who suggest this betray their bias.

Since my ability to spell English words correctly is rapidly declining, must I return my university degrees? Do I lose credits earned every time I say "fuck?"

Perhaps when I say "fuck" I am not thinking "about" it, yet on a visceral level I experience it and it feels "right." If another human wants to add a certain value to a word, I can do nothing to stop it. Likewise, no one can stop me from breaking a taboo.

[progressivebydesign]

35. Abso-fuckin-lutely!!

Actually.. the clever use of fine profanity signals creativity, expression, and intelligence. The most creative uses of profanity appear to be mostly uttered by incredibly intelligent and eloquent individuals.

I'm smarter than the average bear, and I swear like a Merchant Marine because it's fun and expressive. The difference is using profanity to insult or define people, rather than using it to enhance or modify thoughts.

[TahitiNut]

36. Listen here ...

http://www.amishrakefight.org/images/fword.mp3

[FlemingsGhost]

38. No. Obedience is a sign of a weak mind.

Cursing is a sign of underdeveloped social skills.

[TahitiNut]

40. I have yet to see a person on this site with a vocabulary so rich and ...

... abundant that they could afford to reduce it. :shrug:


You speak specifically of profanity. By that, do you only mean irreverently "taking the Lord's name in vain"? Or is it your intention to include vulgarisms, obscenities, blasphemies, slang, and scatalogical terms? Curse words like "damn"? Foreign expressions like "merde" and "puta"? How about the oft-used and (apparently) widely beloved "OMFG!" with limitless punctuation?
:eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes:

[Ezlivin]

41. I was trained by the US Navy to be the fucking best

I learned how to curse like a sailor by being one.

Just for good measure, I married one, too.

You'd better have a very strong mind to handle expletives.

[Kimber Scott]

42. Funny story:

I used to work in the county jail. One night the police brought in a homeless woman. Don't ask me what for, because I don't remember, if I ever knew. Anyway, I had to pat her down, being as she was female and all. She was extremely combative, so my female sergeant came out to help me. The woman (inmate) stood up very straight, looked my sergeant and I both in the eyes and said, "Don't you fucking touch me, I'm a goddammed Christian!"

Anyway, with regard to the original post: I like to cuss, sometimes. It makes me feel good. I agree with the premise it is a lot more work to come up with deliciously slanderous words that are not "profane." But those words just don't seem to offer the emotional release profanity does. Ask Dick Cheney.

[noiretextatique]

44. some of the most profane notions to enter into the public

discourse were delivered without the use of any curse words.
"compassionate conservatism"
"i'm a uniter, not a divider"
"i hit the trifecta"
etc, etc, etc...

you want profanity: listen to bush, inc, rush, savage, and the folks over at faux news.

[TahitiNut]

46. Ubetcha!

:thumbsup:

[William Bloode]

48. "Is use of profanity a sign of a weak mind?"

The very statement in itself just reeks of elitism, that offends me far worse than any curse word may. The simple idea that a persons choice of word's in their vocabulary is theirs, and many life experiences form it. But to even entertain the idea that ones mind is stronger than another's based simply on whether or not they curse is ludicrous.

[Berserker]

49. A very wise man once said

Under certain circumstances profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer—MarkTwain

[LanternWaste]

50. Not neccesarily a weak mind...

Not neccesarily a weak mind, but more a lack of mental discipline (and civility, of course).