I have no respect for those who use vulgar and profane language routinely. The English language has an abundance of words which, when carefully selected and arranged, can communicate with precision any thought, idea, feeling, scene or other - oh, you get the idea. For ordinary conversation, they do just fine and add dignity to profuse insults which profanity could never duplicate. Think of Cyrano dueling a rival who simply stated the Cyrano had "a big nose". While dueling, Cyrano reproached him for the simple insult and proceeded to compose multiple, eloquent ways in which he could have described the size of his nose.
Anytime I hear someone translate another language into English, it seems it takes a lot more words to say the same thing. Sometimes I wonder if it is all translation because some of the sounds give the impression that they are getting ready to spit. Sometimes I wonder if they threw in a few cuss words of their own.
Anyhow, sometimes, even in English, the situation doesn't lend itself to carefully crafted words. For example, if you hit your thumb with a hammer, few people would exclaim, "Darn, I have hit my thumb with my hammer. Gosh, that really hurts. I'll be more careful from now on." Profanity should be reserved for a time like this when one word expletives are superior.. It is brief, forceful and conveys the the combined expression of pain, frustration and shame in one sudden outburst. Using profanity in a casual way, when it has no real meaning, diminishes its value and impact when it is almost required.
The next time you use a vulgar or profane expression, ask yourself if it really enhances what you are trying to convey, unless, of course, you've just hit your thumb with a hammer.
Anytime I hear someone translate another language into English, it seems it takes a lot more words to say the same thing. Sometimes I wonder if it is all translation because some of the sounds give the impression that they are getting ready to spit. Sometimes I wonder if they threw in a few cuss words of their own.
Anyhow, sometimes, even in English, the situation doesn't lend itself to carefully crafted words. For example, if you hit your thumb with a hammer, few people would exclaim, "Darn, I have hit my thumb with my hammer. Gosh, that really hurts. I'll be more careful from now on." Profanity should be reserved for a time like this when one word expletives are superior.. It is brief, forceful and conveys the the combined expression of pain, frustration and shame in one sudden outburst. Using profanity in a casual way, when it has no real meaning, diminishes its value and impact when it is almost required.
The next time you use a vulgar or profane expression, ask yourself if it really enhances what you are trying to convey, unless, of course, you've just hit your thumb with a hammer.
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