Quite a shame how people respond

[thesummerqueen]

No, if they were the same thing, another word wouldn't exist. But it's not the emotion people put behind it, but the word itself.

"This is utterly useless" could, in the right tone, have the same meaning as "this is shit."

[The Reality Salesman01]

No, if they were the same thing, another word wouldn't exist. But it's not the emotion people put behind it, but the word itself.

"This is utterly useless" could, in the right tone, have the same meaning as "this is shit."

He he he....you said shit.

[Rayaan]

No, if they were the same thing, another word wouldn't exist. But it's not the emotion people put behind it, but the word itself.

But you're just using one specific example here to suit your argument.

There are other sentences where a change of words do communicate a different emotion and/or different meanings.

Ex: "You are stupid" vs. "You are a psychopath." And it becomes worse if you add more insults after that.

Do you not think that different words convey different emotions?

[thesummerqueen]

No no, I'm sorry - I wasn't clear.

People aren't responding to the emotion behind the words "shit" or "fuck" when you use them and they get offending by the swearing. They're responding only to the use of those particular words. If they were offended by the actual content, you'd get a much different response.

You could use emotion/tone, etc with similar meaning words to convey almost EXACTLY the same effect. But because we have attached "obscenity" to a handful of words, we get offended by their use more than any other. It's ridiculous.

[Rayaan]

People aren't responding to the emotion behind the words "shit" or "fuck" when you use them and they get offending by the swearing. They're responding only to the use of those particular words. If they were offended by the actual content, you'd get a much different response.

And them getting "offended" usually implies that they felt an emotion from those words. Otherwise, why would they feel offended?

But because we have attached "obscenity" to a handful of words, we get offended by their use more than any other. It's ridiculous.

Yeah, but most of the time I don't think it's only those handful of words that offend members here (like "shit" or "fuck"). There are other words of insult which are kind of obscene.

Although, yes, some people are just crybabies and they take offense in the smallest things, unfortunately.

[The Grand Nudger]

"granny's cunt"

Which of these words is the operator of obscenity? If I were to simply say cunt - sure, some would take offense, but granny's cunt is (likely) worse, so perhaps granny is the word we should avoid? I think the whole bit is really interesting, personally.

[thesummerqueen]

Because they think the words are blasphemous.

And because they can complain about the words rather than actually address the argument.

[Rayaan]

I've been doing a little research on the psychology of insults and on the witty elements behind it (maybe I'm a nerd for doing that), and I recently found an interesting book on this topic:

A Slap in the Face: Why Insults Hurt -- And Why They Shouldn't

[fr0d0]

I'm not seeing the blasphemy

[little_monkey]

No, if they were the same thing, another word wouldn't exist. But it's not the emotion people put behind it, but the word itself.

"This is utterly useless" could, in the right tone, have the same meaning as "this is shit."

Naw, naw. Shit is anything but utterly useless, it can be used as fertilizer -- chicken manure, sheep manure. Obviously you're not a country girl.