Words are
like tools: we must know their limits and how
to use them. A hammer, for example, is used
for driving in nails, but not for cutting wood
or writing a letter; a saw is indispensable
for cutting wood, but not for driving in nails
or rowing a boat. Some people are artists with
words, while others are clumsy and unskilled.
Today, there
is a great over-use of swear-words, to the point
where they have little shock-value. Some people
swear in almost every sentence, which indicates
a poor vocabulary. While it might be understandable
and excusable, in certain circumstances, to
use a strong word, to use them too frequently
is like using bombs to kill ants, and when a
situation arises where a strong word might be
justified, the user has none left, having used
them all on trivial matters. It is hard to imagine
that when the film, Gone With The Wind was being
made, the well-known line, "Frankly, my
dear, I don’t give a damn", only
with great difficulty escaped the censors, ‘damn’
being considered a strong word in those days,
whereas today, except to the very prim, it means
almost nothing!
Skillful use
of words makes for good communication and clarity
of understanding, while poor use leads to misunderstanding,
bad feelings, and often to violence.
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