Do the words people use really tell you about a person?

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Do the words people use really tell you about a person?

Posted: 1/26/2006 8:51:50 AM EDT

as the commercial says"the words you use tell people about your education and background". Do you find this to be true in your own experience?

Also do you you use profanity in the company of well educated people?Does it shock them or open them up?

Posted: 1/26/2006 8:52:14 AM EDT

[#1]

Fuck no!

The better I know people, the more profanity I feel comfortable using around them - regardless of education level.

Posted: 1/26/2006 8:53:07 AM EDT

[#2]

FO SHO.

True Dat.

Posted: 1/26/2006 8:53:57 AM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
Fuck no!

The better I know people, the more profanity I feel comfortable using around them - regardless of education level.

I feel the same fucking way about it.

Posted: 1/26/2006 8:59:54 AM EDT

[#4]

I've been known to expatiate a topic by inserting occasional expletives.

Posted: 1/26/2006 9:04:06 AM EDT

[#5]

The answer to the first question is yes, without a doubt.

I use profanity where it is accepted. I keep it down at work or church, and cuss like a sailor most other times, depending on present company. Some folks like it and some don't. There's nothing inherently sinful about a word, but I don't go out of my way to use certain words when I know I'm going to offend people around me...

...except you fuckers, of course.

Posted: 1/26/2006 9:04:32 AM EDT

[#6]

The fancier the speech, the more the pretense. I have known people who pounded the table and used plenty of undeleted expletives: tired of dealing with and pandering to mealy-mouth b.s. artists.. One gentleman in particular eventually wound up as Chairman and CEO of a major bank.

Posted: 1/26/2006 9:07:33 AM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
I've been known to expatiate a topic by inserting occasional expletives.

That may be so, but your seemingly inviolate suppositories are specious and condescendingly,
yet apropriately moot.

Posted: 1/26/2006 9:09:32 AM EDT

[#8]

Have you ever listened to President Bush's speeches? He tends to talk above what I would consider your average person. Yet the average person regards him as an idiot. Where as President Reagan and G Bush I talked more plan and presumably held on higher regards intellectually.

As for profanity? An occasional colorful word here or there is fine for men but I honestly think it is trashy for women.

Patty

Posted: 1/26/2006 9:11:37 AM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
I've been known to expatiate a topic by inserting occasional non-expletives.

ok, applies to me now

Posted: 1/26/2006 9:13:21 AM EDT

[#10]

The more serious a discussion, the fewer obscenities I tend to use. That way, when I do use them, they carry a bit more weight...

Posted: 1/26/2006 9:15:53 AM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
Have you ever listened to President Bush's speeches? He tends to talk above what I would consider your average person. Yet the average person regards him as an idiot. Where as President Reagan and G Bush I talked more plan and presumably held on higher regards intellectually.

As for profanity? An occasional colorful word here or there is fine for men but I honestly think it is trashy for women.

Patty

GW is no public speaker. Have you seen the "Bush-isms" calendar? His ability to misquote even the most mundane colloquialism tends to have this effect on listeners.

Posted: 1/26/2006 9:16:55 AM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Fuck no!

The better I know people, the more profanity I feel comfortable using around them - regardless of education level.

I feel the same fucking way about it.

You mother fuckers must have read my mind.

Posted: 1/26/2006 9:19:13 AM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
The more serious a discussion, the fewer obscenities I tend to use. That way, when I do use them, they carry a bit more weight...

+1 I was always taught that the undeducated use profanity due to a lack of vocabulary/ inability to express themselves verbally.

of course, could've been a mother trying to prevent her son from dropping the F-bomb at inappropriate times.

Posted: 1/26/2006 9:22:12 AM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Have you ever listened to President Bush's speeches? He tends to talk above what I would consider your average person. Yet the average person regards him as an idiot. Where as President Reagan and G Bush I talked more plan and presumably held on higher regards intellectually.

As for profanity? An occasional colorful word here or there is fine for men but I honestly think it is trashy for women.

Patty

GW is no public speaker. Have you seen the "Bush-isms" calendar? His ability to misquote even the most mundane colloquialism tends to have this effect on listeners.

I haven't seen it - however I have high regard for the man's intellect. I've listened to his major speeches and feel as if he's talking above his audience. I have no idea what blubbers he's made in this calendar but can only imagine more is to blame than his lack of intelligence.

Patty

Posted: 1/26/2006 9:27:51 AM EDT

[#15]

Yes.

Posted: 1/26/2006 9:35:02 AM EDT

[#16]

No. I tend to use words that I feel the people I'm trying to communicate with can comprehend. I'll use a more limited vocabulary for a more limited audience. I'll use larger, more descriptive words if I feel my audience can understand what I'm trying to say.

(Now where's my pidgin-english dictionary?)

Posted: 1/26/2006 10:00:23 AM EDT

[#17]

Yes, especially over the long run with people. Its not about swearing or big words. Some people reveal their lack of education by misusing big words.

Its seems like a limited vocabulary can actually get in the way of thinking.

And this is not about college per se. I know some very intelligent people who didn't go to college, but they are readers.

Posted: 1/26/2006 10:10:21 AM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
as the commercial says"the words you use tell people about your education and background". Do you find this to be true in your own experience?

Also do you you use profanity in the company of well educated people?Does it shock them or open them up?

Yeah, I believe that is a factor. When you first meet somebody, what do you have to go on, really? You size them up on their appearance and (when they open their mouth) what they say. Anything more usually relies on an extended period of associating with the person.

As for profanity, there are two schools of thought, by two very famous Georges:

1. The foolish and wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing is a vice so mean and low that every person of sense and character detests and despises it. (George Washington)

2. An army run without profanity couldn't fight its way out of a piss soaked bag. (George Patton)

With regard to profanity, I admit mostly to be a follower of the Washington theory (who is reinforced by Dr. Martin Luther King's statement that use of profanity does not show force of argument, but lack of vocabulary) but there are times when Patton's school of thought has some merit.

Posted: 1/26/2006 10:12:02 AM EDT

[#19]

Hell no.. Anyone could memorize a few phrases to make them sound educated. just look at liberals

Posted: 1/26/2006 10:17:17 AM EDT

[#20]

Whaa? You be taking crazy! Fo sizzle man! You be wilding yo! You be thinkin you can know sompthin bout someone just becase the way they be talkin man! Ya know what I'm sayin man! You be crazy an shit!

-K

Posted: 1/26/2006 10:18:13 AM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:
Hell no.. Anyone could memorize a few phrases to make them sound educated. just look at liberals

+1000 My last job had a complete idiot that used $10 dollar words in $100 sentences at every instance. He was still an idiot.

Posted: 1/26/2006 10:21:35 AM EDT

[#22]

Don't be hatin' da playa'. Hate da game.

Posted: 1/26/2006 10:24:55 AM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Have you ever listened to President Bush's speeches? He tends to talk above what I would consider your average person. Yet the average person regards him as an idiot. Where as President Reagan and G Bush I talked more plan and presumably held on higher regards intellectually.

As for profanity? An occasional colorful word here or there is fine for men but I honestly think it is trashy for women.

Patty

GW is no public speaker. Have you seen the "Bush-isms" calendar? His ability to misquote even the most mundane colloquialism tends to have this effect on listeners.

I haven't seen it - however I have high regard for the man's intellect. I've listened to his major speeches and feel as if he's talking above his audience. I have no idea what blubbers he's made in this calendar but can only imagine more is to blame than his lack of intelligence.

Patty

I don't think he is that bright. He has speechwriters and a teleprompter for his speeches yet still manages to screw up, but on the other hand, it could just be that he screws up due to the pressure of talking to the entire nation.

Either way, you can't think of any quotes Bush has butchered?

What about: "Fool me once, shame on you. Foll me twice....... a fool man can't be fooled again"

that quote still cracks me up

Posted: 1/26/2006 10:33:03 AM EDT

[#24]

Actually life is like poker, show your hand and you give up an advantage.

The occaisional curse escapes the best of us. Continually cursing denotes a blatant disregard for others.

As for being around others as one of my heroes Popeye would say, "I am what I am."

Tj

Posted: 1/26/2006 10:44:07 AM EDT

[#25]

Audience and Setting are the keys.

In a relaxed atmosphere, with nothing but non-work friends around us, I'm not sure you could judge anything by the way we spoke to one another. Other than we are close friends and comfortable around one another. However, that tells you nothing of character, education or disposition.

Mike Tyson uses a sophisticated vocabulary, does that make you think more of him?

George W. Bush uses a common vocabulary, does that make you think less of him?

Chuck Yeager speaks plainly as well -- what do you think of him?

It's a generalization. Many generalizations leave too much else to consider.

Posted: 1/26/2006 10:48:57 AM EDT

[#26]

Quoted:

As for profanity? An occasional colorful word here or there is fine for men but I honestly think it is trashy for women.

Patty

Unless it's in bed, and in the throes of passion...

Posted: 1/26/2006 10:53:23 AM EDT

[#27]

I curse all of the time. I don't care what people think of me. They can all kiss my lily white ass.

Posted: 1/26/2006 11:17:59 AM EDT

[#28]

Language is the clothing of thought. If you never make critical distinctions in your thoughts then you will not make them in your language either. When you don't make them in your language, it may be that you are ignoring distinctions for rhetorical effect or because you are disingenuous or angry, tired, depressed, or confused. But the question is: when you don't make a distinction in your language, have you in fact made it in your thought? Because thought and emotion intermix, emotions can overrun critical thought, for example during anger. That's why arguments get stupid, and why it feels so good to swear when angry. Likewise for any passion and its expression in language.

Please put your name on the top of the quiz, and the date, before handing it in. You have 20 minutes.

GL

Posted: 1/26/2006 11:24:40 AM EDT

[#29]

I do pretty good unless I am getting whupped in a videogame. Then the cuss words start to flow pretty freely.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Do the words people use really tell you about a person?

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