Lewis Black and George Carlin nail it

[Chad32]

I agree that just saying these words shouldn't elicit the reactions that it sometimes gets. I think part of the problem goes back to the puritan mindset, where body parts and sex are considered dirty and vulgar. Because most curse words are either related to sex, or some sort of body part/function. Shit. Fuck. Tits. Piss. Cunt.

That's why I tend to jump the euphemisms completely and just talk about my penis.

As long as you aren't directing it at someone to tear them down just for thinking or acting differently, it shouldn't be a problem. Now insulting someone can be a different topic, depending on how it's done, and how often, and all that. It turns out words can hurt, if that's all you hear day in and day out, until someone kills themselves. But just saying "holy shit" when something surprising happens shouldn't cause an uproar.

Indeed. There's a big difference between words that are considered "insulting" and actually insulting someone. You can insult someone without using swear words and using swear words may be considered "insulting language" by prudes but if you're not insulting anyone in particular then you're not insulting anyone in particular.

Indeed. You can make someone feel like shit without using the word shit. We need to et over this "bad word" stigma.