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> I find it bizarre that there are certain sounds that ... will cause offense.

I concur that people shouldn't be so sensitive, but I think your approach above is actually the "bizarre" way of looking at it. Ideas, words, sounds, images have meaning. You can tear people down with words, or lift them up. You can tell lies or truth. If I say "fuck you, you piece of shit" to a colleague, or to my wife, that has meaning ("I'm very angry and I hate you"). Swear words are strong for a reason, and if folks use them all the time they become weak and meaningless.

I basically don't swear, ever, but if I did, it would be in situations like this: http://www.paulgraham.com/resay.html (see "The reason I forbid my children to use words like...")

See also the section "innocence" at http://paulgraham.com/lies.html for some counterpoint to your comments about children and swearing. What you say about how you swear all the time but would never do it around your kids seems pretty arbitrary. What you suggest doesn't seem common sense to me.

Your argument is based on the premise that I'm using swear words in reference to somebody, or to cause offence, which is not the case. I'm not saying that I've never sworn at somebody but I would do that wilfully and with intent and not by accident because I swear more than the average person.

I don't care if swearing is weak any meaningless as a result of overuse because I don't need to swear in order to drive home a point. As I said, I think swear words are not in and of themselves harmful. Furthermore I can be just as articulate without swearing.

>> I find it bizarre that there are certain sounds that I can make with my mouth that ripple through the air and upon hitting the delicate ears of another human being will cause offence. I think people of the future will look back on this period of time and refer to all of us as crazy for being so sensitive when there are much, much bigger problems facing humankind.

>> I also do not swear, for obvious reasons, in front of my three year old or any children for that matter. Again, it's just common sense.

You should think about this contradiction, before you say people are sensitive, no?

This doesn't seem all that inconsistent. Kids are impressionable, and pay a much higher social cost for swearing when young (like getting disciplined at school). By contrast, most jobs worth a damn won't be childish enough to reprimand you for something as silly as swearing.

Exactly. Other people are the main reason you have to teach your children not to swear. Whether we like it or not, we live in a society where people get butt-hurt about swearing and some people are appalled at kids swearing. I don't want to have to put up with explaining myself every time my kid swears.

Yeah definitely this. People will judge my son for swearing but my son doesn't have the vocabulary, experience or social skills to defend his words. It's therefore my job to ensure that I don't leave him in a position where he can use a word that gets him in trouble.

Is it really a contradiction?

I would argue for that position by saying:

1. They don't mind the repercussions they would face themselves for swearing.

2. Young children might copy this behaviour without being able to make an informed decision and face those same repercussions. Is it fair to decide for them? Probably not, default to safe.

> I also do not swear, for obvious reasons, in front of my three year old or any children for that matter. Again, it's just common sense.

Why is this obvious (I'm not being facetious)?

Because although I'm fine with swearing everyone else judges me harshly when my 3 year old says 'fuck'

See the other answer.

And also imagine I swear in front of a kid and he goes home and says the word I used to his Mum or worse still perhaps to a school teacher.

The Mum/teacher/whatever is potentially going to chastise the kid for using the word that I gave him but bless him, he doesn't know any better and just enjoyed making the sound.

It seems most unfair that I should place the kid in such a predicament given he doesn't understand the wider context of language and where swearing fits within language and perhaps society.

> I swear...actually I swear an awful lot. Sometimes I say fuck, shit and bollocks all in one sentence. It's a big part of my vocabulary.

> I also do not swear, for obvious reasons, in front of my three year old or any children for that matter. Again, it's just common sense.

How often do you swear in public? Do you notice all the children around you? What if you're intoxicated? I find it more practical to always try and reduce swearing than in specific exceptions. Because that way you are used to not using those words.

I fucking love you. Actually, I try really hard to not swear in front of my kids, but I think I'm too far gone. My wife will chime in and tell me off - you know what, my kids don't actually swear as much as their peers, so I kind of think I'm doing them a favour.