Discourse Quote by Charlotte Bronte
“The practice of hinting by single letters those expletives with which profane and violent persons are wont to garnish their discourse, strikes me as a proceeding which, however, well meant, is weak and futile. I cannot tell what good it does - what feeling it spares - what horror it conceals.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, 1847
The author critiques using vague profanity as a weak, ineffective way to convey strong emotions, questioning its usefulness.
In simple terms: Using vague profanity is pointless and hides true feeling.
Key Takeaway
Choose precise language to express intensity.
Themes
communication
language
authenticity
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- writing
- public speaking
- online discourse
- conflict resolution
Key Concepts
literary criticism
speech theory
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do we rely on profanity?
- What alternatives convey intensity?
A Different Perspective
Might alienate listeners and dilute impact.
![“Half the hoes hate, half them love me. The ones that hate me only hate me cuz they ain't [expletive] me.” quote by Ja Rule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/571/ja-rule-8907_cuz_half-the-hoes-hate-half-them-love-me-the_689225.jpg)
![“Ads are baked into content like chocolate chips into a cookie. Except, it's actually more like raisins into a cookie because no one [expletive] wants them there.” quote by John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7d5/john-oliver-2975_ads_ads-are-baked-into-content-like-chocolat_637766.jpg)
![“I do understand that when someone gives you a [expletive] load of money, you take that money. Someone like Larry Ellison wants to invest into his event and make it the biggest possible, and he gets stopped by the ATP. If you're a start-up, what would make you want to navigate through that and to…” quote by Andy Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/cda/andy-roddick-6537_events_i-do-understand-that-when-someone-gives_601583.jpg)
![“[Kurt Cobain] had a lot of German in him. Some Irish. But no Jew. I think that if he had had a little Jew he would have [expletive] stuck it out.” quote by Courtney Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f8b/courtney-love-2787_cobain_kurt-cobain-had-a-lot-of-german-in-him-s_320200.jpg)
![“That is another theme in the book [Dreams from My Father]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we get the black to see through the eyes of the white? Or the citizen to see through the eyes of the immigrant? Or the straight to see through the eyes of the gay? That has…” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/00d/barack-obama-17_black_that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams_10185.jpg)
