47 lines
2 KiB
Text
47 lines
2 KiB
Text
title = "I don't understand why people censor swear words"
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id = "doc?20251103"
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updated = "2025-11-03T10:26:00+01:00"
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tags = ["all", "shower"]
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+++
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Sometimes, I see people censor swear words [l\*\*e t\*\*s]{title="like this" aria-label="like this, with letters censored out with asterisks"}, presumably to be perceived as family-friendly, non-vulgar, or for other personal reasons.
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I don't get it.
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You're still using the swear word, so you're being just as vulgar as you were if you didn't censor it.
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You just come off as hiding in shame, even though you did the thing knowingly.
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It's just lame.
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You had the choice not to include the swear word, and replace it with something else.
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It's not a live TV show, where [slip-ups can happen](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvXxS4xTKaU).
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You spend hours perfecting your blog post, working on improving the wording, yet you choose not to come up with any milder words to use as a substitute.
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That's not caring for your readers.
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That's not being family friendly.\
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It's laziness and hypocrisy.
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I mean, you can't even follow the very rule you sought to establish---of not using swear words.
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---
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The alternative?
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If you need the extra weight, just use the swear word.\
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If you don't need the extra weight, replace it with something else.
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Swear words _can_ be useful when used in moderation.
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They carry with them very strong emotions, and their place is in conveying those strong emotions when no other words suffice.
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Personally, I don't exclude swear words from my dictionary precisely for that reason.
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They're just useful tools to have in communication, in writing, but I use them sparingly, so that they can have the proper contrast and _oomph_ when I do need to use them.
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They become problematic when you use them too often, on impulse.
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That's when you can come off as an excessive jerk or dumbass.
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Otherwise, _they're fine_.
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They're strong, and that's _good_.
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That's their entire point.
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So don't censor them.
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Or don't use them at all.
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Have some courage to stand by your principles.
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