Why do words offend you?

But who do we fuck?

Because they can significantly devalue my own sense of self confidence?

Your answer categories do not fit the question.

My poll offends you?

I approve of this forum-based performance art.

Life offends me.

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me.

but a forum brought words from a keyboard mouth that offend not only me, but my GOD and damnation living in HELL.

Let me ask you this: was it your goal to devalue my own sense of self worth with those words?

Depends on who they come from. If I respect a person then their words are much more likely to offend me than if it's someone I don't know or don't respect. I can, however, make myself laugh with my own words... and I am probably the only one who laughs at them. Stupid words... I didn't like you anyway.

And Claude, I'll have you know that you are well respected around these parts, so your words carry more weight than most. Do with that power what you will, just know that real human lives hang in the balance.

What a terrible first post. I'm a white male so words can not offend me inherently.

school holls get boring don't they

Depends on context. If person meant no offense by it, I take no offense from it.

Oh my, I do not allow such thoughts to enter my mind. I speak as I wish. You are all real to me. I do not speak as a freak. I am of this world and am not made up of the internet. Speak to me. I will respond in kind. I have the power only to connect. I write words. I can offend. I love you all.

They don't but intentions can.

Word

Words ain't nothing but tricks and marks, bitch

Words only carry the power you give em.

, bitch.

Words? Never. Only stupid people are offended by a word itself.

Context and intentions can offend however.

Give him the one finger salute, motherfucker.

I don't know what's going on, but I like it!

@capum15: Fuck yea, motherfucker!

You're missing the most obvious of answers: Because of the malice/hate behind them, given by the person speaking them.

So many people think they're hard and don't get offended by words. You're insane if you think that.

In my opinion that is basically saying you've never had an argument.

It's not so much the words that offend, it's the thoughts and feelings which they trigger inside me. Thoughts such as these:

I am sad and stupid and alone and worthless and nothing will ever change that.

Don't y'all just love inside jokes you don't get?

Swearing is usually representative of that person's level of intellect - the more they swear, the less word they apparently know to use appropriately. Sometimes it's fine, but it gets less so as you grow older. It just reminds me of being in 5th grade when swearing was cool...

I choose not to be offended BY words but to offend the words themselves.

@claude: You and I go back all the way to the start of this site. How could any product of your twisted mind possibly offend me? I love you, man.

I'm offended when a man sits at a table and only eats half his meal.

“To mean something by means of speech is nothing less than a weakened form of magical binding.”

“People get the language they deserve. The language is made by the people who use it, and they can unmake it too. If they are foolish and fatuous, their speech and writing will be foolish and fatuous and over time will shape the language itself so that it can perfectly express their folly and fatuity.”

“… all words through their very nature as symbols are capable of conjuring up something in our minds… This process of mental evocation, then, we can safely take as the most fundamental act of verbal magic.”

This is the worst

People are evolved to live in a social tribe and take insults as seriously as physical threats because social relations could directly affect their chances for survival.

To expect people to just defy their evolved instincts regarding this matter is incredibly naive at best.

What if your "pole" offends them?

A bigger life question: who the fuck fuckin' cares? If you fuckin' care, does that mean that the other motherfucker wins? What is winning when there is nothing to lose?

I'm not offended by words themselves. I only draw issue if they're used in a malicious context towards someone.

I think Claude might be a bit drunk.

And in response to your question, words become offensive depending on the context. If one of my mates called me a cunt, I'd laugh and think nothing of it. If a stranger called me a cunt, I'd be hurt and wonder what I did to provoke them.

The word it's self is just a noise, it's the meaning behind it that has the real power. If somebody were to speak to me in a foreign language I didn't understand in a sweet tone but really call me "A human piece of shit mother fucking cock sucking bag of dicks" I'd be none the wise.

In conclusion; context is everything and go and sleep it off, Claude.

Words don't offend me, people and their attitudes do. The words are innocent, it's the asshole who's offensive. Two friends saying "hey what's up _____" is not offensive. A person saying "kill all ______" is offensive. But we're stupid so we blame the word. And granted, we might not always know someone's intent when they use language, but that's communication. You can either find out more or move on.

That said, I notice I get agitated as soon as I read the phrase 'offends me'. As soon as someone attempts to play victim because they heard someone say something they don't like I'm... well, offended.

The most offensive word I know of in the English language is "snitch". To my knowledge there's not a man alive who likes being told that they actually enjoy telling the truth to the authorities. How dare they even suggest that! I abstain.

Certain words are not aesthetically pleasing. These words must be destroyed.

That's why they get stitches.

It gets even more annoying when people use abbreviations for those words and it becomes OK.

WHAT'S THE F'ING POINT? EVERYONE THINKS THAT WORD WHEN IT IS ABBREVIATED, YOU F'ING MORONS. BUNCH OF OVER-SENSITIVE C-NTS. IT MEANS THE SAME THING.

Okay so i chose the first one, but now i'm not even sure wtf you are asking and i have no clue.

@mezmero: That's true to some degree i would say, I prefer to be honest but with police you should not always be honest and usually it's best to say "I WANT MY LAWYER". Don't talk to police if you are being accused of something kids.

Its not words. Its what words represent.

@mcghee said:

You're such a Z-word McGhee.