From Tourette's to personality disorders: Examining offensive, taboo speech factors
A talk with psychologist and expert on cursing Dr. Timothy Jay about some lesser known factors that can be present when people use offensive language, with a focus on the modern phenomenon of videos widely shared on social media showing people saying or doing offensive things. We discuss factors that may influence offensive behavior, including Tourette's Syndrome, brain disorders like Alzheimers, substance abuse, mental illness, and personality disorders. Dr. Jay is the author of the books Why We Curse, Cursing in America, and We Did What?. Support the showTo get ad-free episodes, and more, get a premium subscription. To learn more about the show, go to behavior-podcast.com. I'm on Twitter at @apokerplayer. See a summary of my work.
People Who Read People: A Behavior and Psychology Podcast
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Show Notes
A talk with psychologist and expert on cursing Timothy Jay about some lesser known factors involved in people saying offensive things. This episode has a focus on the phenomenon of videos widely shared on social media showing people saying or doing offensive things (including racist rants). We discuss factors that can nfluence offensive behavior, including Tourette's Syndrome, brain disorders like Alzheimers, substance abuse, mental illness, and personality disorders. Topics discussed include: how cursing can be governed by a different part of the brain than “normal” language; the nature of Tourette’s Syndrome, and why some TS sufferers (a small percentage) exhibit offensive language or behavior and most do not; why people with mental illness and/or personality disorders may lash out in aggressive and offensive ways as a coping mechanism; how we as a society need more understanding and empathy for the factors that can lead to outrageous and offensive behavior; social media's role in making conflict and taboo-transgression into entertainment.
Learn more about the show and get transcripts at behavior-podcast.com.
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