Quote

It seems no matter what you say and how politically correctly and carefully you say it, you offend someone. Or at least I always do.

'Right' and 'wrong' aren't words a linguist uses.

I've never used one word of profanity in front of my wife, or my daughter, or my granddaughter... or anybody else's wife.

I have heard my fill of hurtful words. I think it's especially egregious when citizens like me, who point out abuses in their country, are referred to as 'do-gooders.' This is how a phrase that can be used to stop an argument dead becomes part of common usage.

Somebody saying something offensive to you or insulting to you is not pleasant, but it's part of life.

I think the reason that swearing is both so offensive and so attractive is that it is a way to push people's emotional buttons, and especially their negative emotional buttons. Because words soak up emotional connotations and are processed involuntarily by the listener, you can't will yourself not to treat the word in terms of what it means.

Discipline is not a nasty word.

Sincere words are not fine; fine words are not sincere.