I read this in the journal this morning... Interesting, especially in light of my new peer group at school which uses the F-bomb as a rejoinder for, well, just about everything.
There is no better way to capture human feeling or describe situations with humor and attitude than by swearing, says Steven Pinker, a professor of psychology at Harvard University.
Swear words have emotional power not simply because they refer to offensive things, says Mr. Pinker. Brain scans suggest that profanity's impact stems from the way vulgar language taps a part of the brain that links memories to emotions, investing expressions with a sense of dread. "An expletive kidnaps our attention and forces us to consider its unpleasant connotations," says Mr. Pinker.
Is there a Christian response to such an argument?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
i know for sure that when anger and self-preservation run wild in me there are few words that sum up the feeling better than anything offensive and hateful. it really doesn't matter what it is, so long as it's motivated in such a way. those feelings seem to run counter to the practice of meekness, gentleness, and patience that jesus exhorts us to pursue. even with all the whooping and hollering that some personalities are predisposed to enjoy, it seems to me that true joy and pleasure are often accompanied by silence. what then needs to be said when the best is experienced? even a fool seems wise when he keeps his mouth closed.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fuck
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/shit
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/damn
As you can see in the definitions above, explicatives are simply words. Granted, they typically refer to something not-so-pleasant, but they are just words. ANY word can be used with contempt and come across the same as an explicative.
I would argue that it is the intent behind the use that should be scrutinized, not the word itself.
Would a rose by any other name truly smell as sweet?
Post a Comment