An Invitation to Closing the Mind?

[LHX]

Yo I ran across a quote today while I was reading a book by Vonnegut:

From Hocus Pocus:
...profanity and obscenity entitle people who don't want unpleasant information to close their ears and eyes to you.

Please weigh in on the above statement from 2 angles:

1 - understanding how unpleasant 'Truth' can be as it is revealed, what are the implications of the above statement?

2 - what does it imply in terms of the approach you would take to communicating to an audience?[/quote]

[Felix]

1)The implications are nothing new.  People are afraid of the truth, probably because it's only been applied to them as a weapon of hurt and fear.  Likely a manufacture of cultural environment.

2)If I happen to know something they don't?  Let on NOTHING that would put them on thier gaurd.  Or at least try.  If they must know the Truth, then I'll tell them in a way that they are likely to be receptive, or at least nonviolent, and make sure they follow exactly what I'm trying to communicate, and in the terms I'm doing so.

[LMNO]

Socially Taboo subjects are easily avoided by the use of the standards of "profanity and obscenity", in that once the taboo subject is breached, the knee-jerk reaction tends not to be to the subject so much as the words and object.  Case in point: Classical art has tits and cocks everywhere, yet that isn't a cultural taboo, so it can be shown freely (unless you're Ashcroft, of course).

[Felix]

Interesting to note, LMNO.  We react to subject matter more than content...

I think I'm receptive to this idea.  

[LMNO]

That's why, if you have a brilliantly conceived speech, with compelling arguments and a clear objective, if you say "Motherfucker" halfway through, no one will remember a single thing about your speech, they will only talk about how you cursed.

[Triple Zero]

heh, i heard something similar but actually the opposite from a friend who works at a telephone helpdesk.

if you add some swearword, very matter-of-factly somewhere in a sentence like "hello this is tech-support, bastard, can i help you?", people will not even notice, or just half think "did he really say that? nahh impossible, this is helpdesk"

possibly some OM ideas can be forged from this principle?

[LMNO]

Well, i suppose the difference is between whether you are trying to convey information, or if you are simply engaged in rote communication.

The latter is usually things like, "how are you today", "Can I help you" "The police are your friends", etc.

[Slyph]

Depends on context/audience, People can be empassioned by a final "Fuck You" to anything you've successfully portrayed as the son of satan.

Of course, this is more appropriate in standup comedy rather than at the ambassidor's reception.