To startle: How I Feel About Swear Words

I have an approach to these alleged swear words that is not particularly moral but is based on aesthetics — personal aesthetics that seem to be not much more than amusing to the people I explain them to. Here is my aesthetic objection then: I am against the majority of uses of swear words because they are overused.

These words are meant to startle, to express extremes of anger or despair or regret or disgust. To add to the mood, the emotion, an overused word is almost useless, a waste of breath and vocal cords.

The more that I use them, the less effect they will have on my listeners. When I use them, I want my listeners to pay that extra attention to what I say. This does not work if the word in question is used to modify every noun that comes out of my mouth.

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