Why are Bad Words Bad?

I've been raised in a Christian home, and can't say some words that my friends can, even if they are just words. But what makes bad words so bad? They, too, are just words! My lunch table has had several good discussions on this, and it makes me curious to research how a normal word becomes a swear word. I found out some very interesting facts- both for and against swearing.

First off, what is profanity, or swearing? Merriman-Webster defines profanity as "an offensive word", but what if you say a swear word and are not insulting someone else? Years ago, profane words were words that were used in a way to disrespect God. And if you're being the devil's advocate, then you might say, "What if I'm not a religious person?"

And if you're being a clean person, you could say, "Well, if that was what profanity was described as in Bible times, what makes it any different now?" And the truth is, it shouldn't be any different. But society makes it different.  Sometimes society says that to be accepted, you have to swear. In my opinion, that's not the truth.

And, if you're not a religious person, that doesn't change much. Swear words are not pleasant to hear, and will physiologically affect you, causing your palms to sweat.

Swear words are used about the same amount as pronouns. Swear words make up .7% of our daily vocabulary while pronouns make up 1%. That's .3 % of a difference.

Steven Pinker has designated five different types of swearing, which I will describe briefly. The first, abusive swearing, are words used with the intent to hurt someone. Emphatic swearing is where you want to show that, to express your emotions, these words are necessary. Dysphemism is where you express your feelings in an unpleasant, unprofessional way.  Two words may have the same meaning, but different amounts of social acceptance. Idiomatic swearing is where you swear to express the casualty of the atmosphere. It's not said to hurt anyone, but instead to tell your peers that the worst of the worst is cool with us. Whether you want to hear that, it depends. Cathartic  swearing gives us 'lalochezia', the medical term for relief given to us by hearing or saying swear words when in pain.

Swearing isn't all that bad! Though the language isn't pleasant, swearing gives us a feeling of power (which can be good or bad), pain relief, and non-violent retribution.

At http://people.howstuffworks.com/swearing1.htm, they say that swearing is used to establish group identity, express trust, add humor, and hide fear or insecurity.

I'm just going to say it: Swearing is not mandatory to establish group identity.  But swearing definitely does make a point in a conversation. You could either infer that someone is opinionated after hearing their sailor's language, or that they are over-the-top.

Whether or not to trust someone who uses swear words is your own choice. Personally, I find it harder to trust someone who swears.

Swearing is also not the only way to add humor. I could crack a joke or make a pun in front of a crowd, and I'm sure I would get the same, if not more, of a laugh. But, as Psychology Today says, swearing among friends can be quite hilarious, making light of a situation.

But that last one shocks me. Does this mean, when I hear the buff guys in the grade swear, they are actually scared or insecure???

I'll leave that last one for you to answer. and hope that you learned something from reading this article. What are your opinions on swearing? Go ahead and leave them in the comments!