Swearing vs Verbal Abuse

[Boredie]

Swearing has been discussed many times in GF (as far as I remember) but I think I've come up with an interesting point that I think is worth discussing.

The basic divisive issue on swearing/cuss words is how much you allow it to affect you. Some say they are just words and therefore need to be ignored, and some say that such words offend them greatly.

Now I want to add in another perspective to the basic argument.
How come there is such a thing as Verbal Abuse? For those who claim that words have no power, how come there is a section in the law regarding verbal abuse? As we know verbal abuse can scar a person for life, just as much as physical.

How is verbal abuse any different to swearing/cussing which makes some people offended and some not?

Would love to hear your inputs!

 

[Wade8813]

Interesting - I just got into a big discussion about this with my dad and brother this evening.

I've always found it weird that for every swear word (at least in America) there are many synonyms that are generally accepted as not being profanity.

A little while ago, I read an article that said the word "shit" became a swear word because one group of people conquered another group of people; the conquered people said "shit" all the time, so it got demoted to a cuss word.

It seems almost arbitrary at times.

 

[Tucker]

Verbal abuse is intentional infliction of insult showing a blatant disregard for basic humanity. Using words deemed forbidden by others, but not by oneself, does not in my mind constitute that same kind of offense. Yes, one can demonstrate respect by avoiding certain terms in certain company, but when censorship is imposed, the situation becomes a different thing altogether.

 

[Boredie]

Verbal abuse is intentional infliction of insult showing a blatant disregard for basic humanity. Using words deemed forbidden by others, but not by oneself, does not in my mind constitute that same kind of offense.

Well, there are many people who can be verbally abusive towards only certain people. Same said person can use "accepted" words in society to cuss and abuse those certain people. At what point does the regular cussing become abuse?

 

[Tucker]

Well, there are many people who can be verbally abusive towards only certain people. Same said person can use "accepted" words in society to cuss and abuse those certain people.

Can you focus me in with an example of "accepted" words being used to abuse a certain segment?

 

[EllyDicious]

Swearing has been discussed many times in GF (as far as I remember) but I think I've come up with an interesting point that I think is worth discussing.

Some say they are just words and therefore need to be ignored, and some say that such words offend them greatly.
Now I want to add in another perspective to the basic argument.
How come there is such a thing as Verbal Abuse? For those who claim that words have no power, how come there is a section in the law regarding verbal abuse? As we know verbal abuse can scar a person for life, just as much as physical.

words do have power. but it depends on who says them, where and for what.
you can't give every word and its meaning an equal importance.
i was looking on the internet about the difference between curse, verbal abuse and swearing english words and they seemed to have more-or-less the same meaning while in Albanian each of them is used in a different way.

anyway, i would find curse more disturbing and way vulgar. i wonder what satisfaction people take from using them continuously..

 

[Boredie]

Can you focus me in with an example of "accepted" words being used to abuse a certain segment?

The problem with giving you an example is that the words I might put forth will mean nothing to you, but might mean something to others. It is something that changes from person to person, where word X can be a word used normally in someone's vocabulary, yet that same word to a group of people is offending.
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i was looking on the internet about the difference between curse, verbal abuse and swearing english words and they seemed to have more-or-less the same meaning...

That is basically the point of the discussion.

 

[Merc]

How is verbal abuse any different to swearing/cussing which makes some people offended and some not?

They're the same, the only difference is one person was either such a wimp or so ruthlessly ravaged verbally that they called the police. The problem is that it's all subjective. I could sit here and tell a fat joke and people could laugh but one person could get offended and I could get in trouble because at least in the US, the politically correct disease that is spreading would eat me alive. It's bullshit when you think about it.

We give words all their power. If someone walked up to me and called me a greasy cracker (Italian white guy for you insult impaired out there) it's up to me how to handle it. I can get pissed, throw a punch, laugh, walk away, insult back, threaten, etc. There's all kinds of possibilities. Your job as a sane and confident human being should be to measure the situation and act appropriately. Beating the guy is probably not a good move even if I'm hurt. Unfortunately, walking away is the best option but almost nobody has the ability to shrug things off anymore in this "get pissed" culture we have going today.

Bottom line, I won't stop cussing because one person gets offended. I'll make a mental note to try and be considerate around them but I'm not making promises. It blows my mind that we are in a day and age where no one can even take criticism anymore. That's another thing, "isms". Racism, sexism, ageism, even fatism. Yes, FATism. A word so heavy you need to put it on a diet of carrots and water just for it to lose a pound since it's too busy stuffing it's ugly face with donuts and soda. Basically, hiding under the supposed epic power of words is cowardly. People need to be taught more than ever to handle their problems and deflect pathetic insult attempts and the like. I mean, we're to the point where kids have killed themselves over peer pressure ONLINE. Can you believe that? I don't want to. By enforcing this idea that words are like bullets, we're raising a generation of weak, passive and frail people who will fold at the first sound of "damnit" and cry when someone asks for directions.

MY FATHER DIED ASKING FOR DIRECTIONS, HOW DARE YOU! WWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent" - Eleanor Roosevelt

 

[Smelnick]

It's wierd, because in my grade, and a couple grades below, the schools would teach that old rhyme 'Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me'.

Then when my brothers got into school, they changed it up 'Sticks hurt on the outside, it heals. Words hurt on the inside, it doesn't heal' Or something to that effect.

Growing up, my stepfather verbally abused the shit out of me. Naturally, I knew they were just words, and he was demented and didn't know shit. But sometimes, something he said would kinda be half true, and since I was like 12 years old, frightened of this big yelling man, and his swinging fists, subconciously, some things would hit home, and it would be a bit painful.

I am of the opinion that words are only a collection of vibrations on the air that stimulate your ear drum and translate into sound. In extreme cases, verbal abuse can be painful, especially if accompanied by the physical aspect. But in the end its all just sounds. If you're taught that words can hurt, then you're gonna feel hurt by a lot. Schools need to start teaching kids to be tough again.

 

[ExpectantlyIronic]

I suppose we could consider it a very minor form of emotional abuse to swear in front of someone with an aversion to it, but it is like flicking someone on the shoulder as compared to repeatedly punching them in the face, if we are comparing swearing to serious cases of emotional abuse. The difference is one of degree.