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Comment by iamerroragent | Hacker News Reader

I've found in my experience in in life that those whom comment are others use of swear words are often lacking individuals whom attempt to use their felt'superior language' to demean others. Particularly to demean others of a different cultural background than them.

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> I've found in my experience in in life that those whom comment are others use of swear words are often lacking individuals whom attempt to use their felt'superior language' to demean others.

I wholeheartedly agree. This blend of criticism consists of blanket dismissals of all things staded and even the acknowledging that the person is worthy of consideration or engagement, regardless of what they say or do.

The accuser feels the need to demean others, and for lack of any reason this is what they grab hold onto.

This is unfortunately the case, which is why I start the essay with caveat that it hopefully applies to people with my cultural background who swear, and may not apply beyond that.

Hey as long as my culture is superior to yours because mine doesn't liberally use swear words like yours it's all good boy!

Obviously I hope you can tell that's thick sarcasm to illustrate a point.

Yes, that is problematic :) However, different cultures use swearing very differently (and it seems the attitude that sometimes goes along with swearing in my culture doesn't always go along with swearing in other cultures), and swearing is a very tiny part of a culture, so would have very little effect at that level even if it was as "dumb" in other cultures as I think it is in mine.

I disagree that is has little effect. The way we communicate is a central and essential aspect of us as a species. Even the little nods and the dog whistles matter. A dominate culture policing it's norm of communication onto another because the dominate one believes due to it being the prominent one it is thus superior leads to damaging and loss of cultural diversity and communication and perpetuates societal disunity and segregation.

Viewing swearing as "dumb" and thus people who swear are "dumb" is a really easy way to openly okay associating a whole group of people that may swear often as "dumb" or to selectively apply that standard to them.

You yourself are perfectly free to choose whatever words you would like to use; I am perfectly free to find language policing and censoring repugnant.

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