On 10/18/07, Udhay Shankar N <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Biju Chacko wrote: [ on 01:19 PM 10/17/2007 ] > > >http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=20071008&s=pinker100807&c=1 > > > >Why we curse. > >What the F***? > >by Steven Pinker > > > >Fucking became the subject of congressional debate in 2003, after NBC > >broadcast the Golden Globe Awards. Bono, lead singer of the mega-band > >U2, was accepting a prize on behalf of the group and in his euphoria > >exclaimed, "This is really, really, fucking brilliant" on the air. > > Another interesting piece to the picture: > > http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/20718 > > > Never mind the b******t, swearing at work is a good thing > Submitted by Layer 8 on Wed, 10/17/2007 - 10:11am. > > (Note to readers: We normally don't let people swear around here but > this particular story begs to be deemed a &*#$%^ exception. Those who > find such language offensive should avoid reading the comments below > at all #$%&*@& costs.) > > This is the kind of news that your HR folks don't want to hear, but > researchers today said letting workers swear at will in the workplace > can benefit employees and employers. > > The study found regular use of profanity to express and reinforce > solidarity among staff, letting them express their feelings, such as > frustration, and develop social relationships, according to > researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA). Researchers said > their aim was to challenge leadership styles and suggest ideas for > best practices. > > "Employees use swearing on a continuous basis, but not necessarily in > a negative, abusive manner. Swearing was as a social phenomenon to > reflect solidarity and enhance group cohesiveness, or as a > psychological phenomenon to release stress, " the study stated. "Most > of the cases were reported by employees at the lower levels of the > organizational hierarchies and it was clear that executives use > swearing language less frequently. " > > <snip> > > > -- > ((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) ((www.digeratus.com))
What I find interesting is the way swearing, from being a forceful vent of one's strong feelings, gets diluted into a sort of add-on-for-effect weak, effete set of words...I am reminded of the gentle lady who, when going for a walk, said, "Oh, shit! I stepped in some doggy poo-poo." Certainly I find that to those are in their twenties today, the f, b, and s words mean absolutely nothing at all; the conversation is liberally peppered with them. I don't find, either, that they have invented anything more scatological to express their frustration.... It also surprises me, how prudish I am about saying these words, tells me how very strong cultural conditioning is! If I use the word "bloody", I am very, very, very angry! Look, I can't even type them..... Deepa. > > >
