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Using curse words is one of the most unoriginal and nonsensical things you can do. I’m talking about those words that everyone uses everyday, to the point where people don’t even think about words mean anymore.
Usually, these words are used to emphasize a certain feeling, usually negativity, although they can also be used to emphasize feelings of happiness too. Makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it? Actually, these words have origins and meanings. To use them as a qualitative adverb: “I’m so f***ing sad/happy,” is not incorrect (it might have been at one point, but language evolves).
It is inefficient and, to an educated ear, impeding to the mean which you are actually trying to convey. It is inefficient because it does not express your feelings as powerfully as you intended it to do.
Cursing does not express emotions or how passionate you are about something; it expresses laziness and unoriginality. It shows that you are not so passionate at all since you can’t come up with a better word to use. It seems logical that all you need to do is use a better word – a well thought out word that is relevant to the situation and true to your emotions.
So, instead of “I’m so f***ing sad,” how about “I’m so disappointingly sad,” or “I’m so confused and sad.” Here, this person has already expressed disappointment. The person listening does not have to wonder about the person’s and has a better insight on what the speaker will say to her next.
If you just use any generic curse word, it seems to show that you’re not really, say, that sad, because you’re not sad enough to find a way to describe it. It is like the difference between telling someone “I love you,” and writing someone a poem expressing your feelings toward them.
I read this little snippet on the Internet. It was about the difference between an English major and a Mass Communications major. It said:
Comm. major: “What the hell is a palindrome?”
English major: “No, it’s not.”
I had to read it a few times, but it’s pretty funny once you understand it.
These words work the way they do because of society. Society finds these words offensive, vulgar, powerful and in certain situations, forbidden. Unfortunately, many people haven’t realized that most things society does are nonsensically stupid.
I honestly don’t understand how people can think that cursing emphasizes what they say, especially when most people curse in every sentence anyway. If someone like me, who never curses, were to curse, and it were to people who knew me well, then it might be effective. However, just because I don’t ever curse does not mean that if I were to get really emotional about something and curse while talking to a stranger, that he would know, “Oh, he never curses, but he did now. He must really mean it."
However, there is no question about how I feel about something if I say “That is so degradingly stupid.”
Also, using negative words to emphasize a positive feeling just seems…inefficient. Why not use a positive word to emphasize a positive emotion? “This cheesecake is exoctically good.,” instead of “This cheesecake is so f***ing good.”
Think for yourself and say what you mean by refraining from using nonsensical words.
Kenny Tsao is a music education
freshman. He can be reached at
ktsao@loyno.edu
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