The Power of Swearing: Has It Lost Its Effect?

The human race places great importance on the power of words. It's the main source of understanding between us. Without language we would be reduced to hand signals and body movements to get a point across and you could easily imagine the limitations of that form of communication. Even sign language has as its basis in the spoken word and would not have been invented without it.

One area of particular interest is the use of the language to offend others. Plainly speaking, swear words do have a rightful place in all languages. In fact, our love of them is easily proven by the understanding that the first words people learn, when they are introduced to a new language, are the profane ones. Perhaps it's in our nature to explore the taboo or our want to get to the heart of a language not represented in a text book. Whatever the reason swear words will remain a permanent fixture in every language now and into the future.

Although it is a truth that many use swear words as a substitute for thinking; it is easier to replace a whole group of words with "fuck," as an example, than it is to take the time to put those words into regular use. It is also true that the force of swear words can't be replaced when you want to get a point across angrily. A bank robber will gain cooperation easier if he screams "Everyone get your fucking asses on the floor!" than he would if he yells "Everyone makes themselves perpendicular to the floor!"

But with the modern phenomena of the absorption of swear words into the regular use of language by many people, not as a "dumbing down" process in the vein of newspeak from Orwell's novel 1984, but as a condition of removing their shock value, it seems we have arrived at an unheralded epoch in time.

Never before has such a large group of a population used taboo words in regular speech without any repercussions socially. This behaviour has moved from its traditional home in the language of the lower classes to all social circles. We regularly hear what was once considered offensive language used on television, radio, print, and most other media sources.

It is easy to see where the blame lies, that is, if we believe it has a negative effect and therefore blame is justified, by pointing out that we have a love of freedom. Democratization of the language, where one word is as socially acceptable as the next, and our deification of the freedoms we have, especially the freedom of speech, has created a culture where many swear words have lost their traditional ability to offend or shock.

But is this loss of the power actually true or is the writer handing you just his own point of view. There are two schools of thought when writing on this subject and it would be remiss for this writer not to inform the reader of both.

Swearing - Page 2

Article by:
FS Staff

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