> Anti-establishment seems to be the meme, but cursing provides a warm,
> safe, nutrient-rich petri dish for the meme to grow in.
Really? When you hit your thumb with a hammer, do you yell, "Goddamn!" to
express your anti-establishment resentment of the authority figures keepin'
ya down by forcing you into a position where you have to swing a hammer and
miss the nail, my brother-man? Or are you just expressing anger and pain?
I think the latter.
But if you shouted "Goddamn!" instead of "Ouch!" or "Yipes!" I would expect
that that reflex was an indication of a learned behavior. And if your five
year-old son was in the room at the time, the odds are you just passed on
that behavior to him--replication.
Memes are not some lofty ideals that try to consciously undermine one
another. They are simple forms that, over time and as a group, adapt to
the niches they are in.
-Prof. Tim