The Power of Fuck

Yes, see? Exactly my point. The first thing you thought upon seeing that title was, for many of you, shock. Only for a moment, maybe, but still . . . some visceral feeling that things are not good.

Why is that? Why is that word so powerful in the English language? Of course, it goes with a host of other unpleasant-looking words, but it has a power no other word in English seems to, either written or spoken.

How can a word be unpleasant? It seems insane, that just the mention or the sight of such a word could elicit so many primitive emotions, yet it does. The word is not like "nigger", which I will spell out for all to see, instead of that ridiculous euphemism, "The N-Word," but which is so different to the English-speaking brain.

Why are these words so powerful? They're just words. But they are. I can say with pride (why with pride?) that not once in my entire life did I ever hear any word worse than "damn" or "shoot" come out of my parents' lips. They weren't religious. They had no special code that told them never to say "bad words" yet they never did. Not even once. Not even one single time did I hear a "bad" word come from my parents. Not at parties, not with their friends, not with each other.

So why is it practically the first word we, as children, learn as a sort of "initiation" into an "adult" world?

And why is it so shocking to our ears and to our eyes? It's just a word.

I have to say that within my parents' hearing and within my son's hearing, as far as I know, I have never uttered the word "fuck" or any of its siblings. I even delivered lectures to anyone around me that they were never to utter the word in my son's presence. Mostly, they have obeyed.

Why? I don't fear a wrathful god. I don't fear that my son will learn the word, because he already has. But he sure as fuck would never say it in my presence.

Learning another language helps you gain perspective about words and how powerful they can be.

I was amazed to find that in Japanese, there is nothing, not one single thing equivalent to "fuck." If you can imagine two words that can NOT be uttered in Japanese without having your head broken in immediately, imagine "You." And "Crazy." Do those ring alarm bells for you? Thought not.

But if you say "you" in a particular way: "omé" or "kisama", both of which are ways of saying "you", you will get your ass kicked. Omé is the most demeaning form of "you" which would have to be translated as "Ya fuckin' sorry ass loser" and "kisama" is literally the second-worst thing you can say in Japanese. It literally means "Your honourable self" but what it means now is "You miserable fucking pile of stinking shit."

Don't ever, ever say "kichigai" in Japanese. That will get you a one-way trip to eternity. It literally means "changed mind" but when used, it would have to be translated like "Fuck your mother, fuck your sister and fuck the horse you rode in on."

So when I use "fuck" I don't use it loosely, because I know the power of words.

I usually just say "Fuck it, what the fuck."