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The Only Curse Word

The Only Curse Word

Douglas Finkelstein
December 12, 2024

5 minutes to slow down, laugh, and share something in common. Every Thursday.

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🎩 One Theme → The Only Curse Word

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The Only Curse Word

Let’s talk about curse words, fuckers.

The term “curse” traces back to the idea of casting spells—using words with intention to create or destroy. Every word we speak and action we take carries energy, casting a spell on the people around us, and on ourselves. We literally create the world in this way. Whether we realize it or not, we’re constantly weaving these spells, consciously or unconsciously.

This is why I think there’s only one true curse word: h*te.

I use a “*” in place of the “a” because even seeing it, I feel its undesirable energy. H*te is always loaded with negativity. Every time it’s spoken, it spreads harm. It’s a word that, when breathed into existence, curses whatever it touches.

Society may have labeled words like “fuck” as curse words, but they’re not inherently bad. A well-placed “fuck” can express joy, surprise, or excitement just as easily as anger. These words are neutral until we imbue them with meaning. But h*te? It doesn’t work that way. It has no light side. It’s a spell of pure destruction.

What makes h*te unique is that it stands alone in how ‘pure’ it is in its destruction. The only thing of comparable purity is love. Love stands alone in its goodness.

Think about it: everything has an opposite, a counterpart that creates balance. Happiness and sadness. Cold and hot. Day and night. Each exists because of the other, and both are needed and beautiful. But love and h*te? They’re the exception to this rule.

Love is foundational, the energy that fuels creation, connection, and life itself. It exists without an opposite because it doesn’t need one. Love is always loaded with goodness. H*te, on the other hand, is always destructive, and its presence only indicates an absence of love. H*te serves to negate.

This is why I treat h*te as the only true curse word. I ask people around me not to say h*te. It’s the only word that always carries a curse, with no opposite value to balance it out.

Words are spells. Whether we’re conscious of it or not, we cast them every day. So, if you’re going to wield the magic of language, I say wield it wisely. Use words to build, to connect, to love. Leave the curses behind, fuckers!

What are your thoughts on words as spells? Do you have words you avoid or feel strongly about? Let me know—I’d love to hear.

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