NationStates Jolt Archive

Well there are many subjects in society that people just stay away from, the taboo if you will. But what determines what becomes tabbo. Is it determined by the masses who come to the conclusion that something is too bad that to utter a single word about it? Or do the minority determine it and it eventually spreads? And over time does taboo change? And can the norm today become tabbo tomorrow? Discuss!

Well there are many subjects in society that people just stay away from, the taboo if you will. But what determines what becomes tabbo. Is it determined by the masses who come to the conclusion that something is too bad that to utter a single word about it? Or do the minority determine it and it eventually spreads? And over time does taboo change? And can the norm today become tabbo tomorrow? Discuss!
Taboos are determined by what is accepted by the majority culture. Cultures can change with time, and thus their taboos can change with time. The question of who "starts" a taboo is easily answered in the Western world: the wealthy and powerful, usually white males, since these are the people with the time to worry about such things and the status to have their beliefs noticed.

Custom. People get used to something not being talked about and then it becomes taboo. Then everyone wants to talk about it but they can't because it's taboo.

Well there are many subjects in society that people just stay away from, the taboo if you will. But what determines what becomes tabbo. Is it determined by the masses who come to the conclusion that something is too bad that to utter a single word about it? Or do the minority determine it and it eventually spreads? And over time does taboo change? And can the norm today become tabbo tomorrow? Discuss!

Are you talking about cannabalism? When I hear taboo I tend to think that.

Well there are many subjects in society that people just stay away from, the taboo if you will. But what determines what becomes tabbo. Is it determined by the masses who come to the conclusion that something is too bad that to utter a single word about it? Or do the minority determine it and it eventually spreads? And over time does taboo change? And can the norm today become tabbo tomorrow? Discuss!

Taboos certainly change in time. The mere idea of sacrificing an animal on an altar these days would disgust people, whereas it was commonplace for most of human religions throughout history.
Having sex with animals is a taboo in more "civilised" areas of the world, in Turkey you might simply be forced to marry your goat if discovered.
It used to be taboo for people to talk about anything remotely related to sex during more puritan areas, other areas saw works of literature like Casanova's memoirs and Bocchaccio's Decameron.
The list is endless... people tend to find new taboos after discarding old ones.

Taboos are one of the stupidest things ever invented by man. No subject should ever be all "hush-hush". This kind of thinking creates a backwards mentality.

If something is horrible and stuff, we should be able to discuss and debate why, in order to know why it's horrible and stuff. And if it's not, we should be able to discuss and debate in order to realise that in fact, there's no reason to consider it horrible and stuff.

Y'know.

Taboo is a silent program that works in the background that you cant find and uninstall untill it locksdown your system. It keeps you from opening certain folders and executing certain command or other programs. If you are dumb its probably best you newer mess with main system files anyway, but for an expert it is sometimes necessary to tune-up system.

The cards will tell you what is taboo!
http://altura.speedera.net/ccimg.catalogcity.com/200000/201600/201689/Products/2248188.jpg

Are you talking about cannabalism? When I hear taboo I tend to think that.

Perhaps a little more protien in your diet would help with that. :p

Generally the last two taboos are incest and cannibalism. Some Orthodox and Hasidic jews still have the taboo against pork and shellfish or other non-kosher foods. The pork taboo originates from the olden days because pigs carried intestinal worms. Shellfish because of it can carry Hepatitis A.

Some taboos like homosexuality & sado-masochism/BDSM arn't conisered taboos anymore but others are still illegal.

The question of who "starts" a taboo is easily answered in the Western world: the wealthy and powerful, usually white males, since these are the people with the time to worry about such things and the status to have their beliefs noticed.

I think most taboos predate white, wealthy Western males. Like the taboo against incest, for example. In fact, I'm pretty sure some wealthy powerful men violate that taboo. Remember, taboos are different from mores. Mores do change with culture, but taboo is something that I think remains ingrained deeper, for longer, and for more fundamental reasons.

if you are rich enough your nationality etc doesnt matter

Taboo (http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/drinks/taboo/) is an intriguing blend of wine, exotic fruit juices and vodka.

The actual origin of the word comes, interestingly enough, from Polynesian societies (Tonga, New Zealand...). Tabu there means a sort of religious prohibition.

To give you two examples, in Polynesian societies a person's head was (and to some degrees still is) tabu, especially when that person is high ranking. You're not supposed to touch a chief's head, and children aren't supposed to touch their father's head, for example.

A lake, or some other fishing area, can become tabu, which means it's forbidden to fish there for a while. This can be for several reasons (ressources running scarce and needing time to replenish themselves, someone having drowned there, etc...).

Of course, the Western meaning of the word has strayed quite far from its Polynesian origins, but you can still see the connection.

I seem to recall reading a while back the the closest thing we as a species have to a universal taboo is mother/son incest. It's considerd vile in almost all human societies. I can certanly understand why.

Shooting at Deep Kimchi is taboo.

The actual origin of the word comes, interestingly enough, from Polynesian societies (Tonga, New Zealand...). Tabu there means a sort of religious prohibition.

To give you two examples, in Polynesian societies a person's head was (and to some degrees still is) tabu, especially when that person is high ranking. You're not supposed to touch a chief's head, and children aren't supposed to touch their father's head, for example.

A lake, or some other fishing area, can become tabu, which means it's forbidden to fish there for a while. This can be for several reasons (ressources running scarce and needing time to replenish themselves, someone having drowned there, etc...).

Of course, the Western meaning of the word has strayed quite far from its Polynesian origins, but you can still see the connection.
Wow! I didn't know that and appreciate the knowledge :D

(BTW, "taboo" is spelled "Tabu" in German, so it stayed true to its origins)

Taboo is what I am currently doing while I type this. It involves a goat, my pointer finger and a saltine cracker. I've already said too much.

Taboo is what I am currently doing while I type this. It involves a goat, my pointer finger and a saltine cracker. I've already said too much.

As long as it doesn't involve a digital camera, and posting pics of your anus on the Internet, I'm fine with it.

As long as it doesn't involve a digital camera, and posting pics of your anus on the Internet, I'm fine with it.

If only my goat were not camera shy...

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TABU has a brand new, state of the art sound system and light show that was specifically designed to to give you heart pounding music on the dance floor while still allowing for normal conversation in the seating areas.

We also have 12 VIP areas available for our members to enjoy some quiet time with friends.

Taboo topics: Cannibalism and female masturbation.

I seem to recall reading a while back the the closest thing we as a species have to a universal taboo is mother/son incest. It's considerd vile in almost all human societies. I can certanly understand why.
Me too. If you impregnated your mother, would you be your own uncle?

I seem to recall reading a while back the the closest thing we as a species have to a universal taboo is mother/son incest. It's considerd vile in almost all human societies. I can certanly understand why.
I thought it was father/daughter incest?

Me too. If you impregnated your mother, would you be your own uncle?

Oh, many, many years ago
When I was twenty-three
I was married to a widow
Who was pretty as can be
This widow had a grown-up daughter
Who had hair of red
My father fell in love with her
And soon the two were wed

This made my dad my son-in-law
And changed my very life
For my daughter was my mother
'Cause she was my father's wife
To complicate the matter
Though it really brought me joy
I soon became the father
Of a bouncing baby boy

This little baby then became
A brother-in-law to Dad
And so became my uncle
Though it made me very sad
For if he was my uncle
Then that also made him brother
Of the widow's grown-up daughter
WHo of course is my step-mother

Chorus
I'm my own grandpa
I'm my own grandpa
It sounds funny I know
But it really is so
Oh, I'm my own grandpa

My father's wife then had a son
Who kept them on the run
And he became my grandchild
For he was my daughter's son
My wife is now my mother's mother
And it makes me blue
Because although she is my wife
She's my grandmother too

Now if my wife is my grandmother
Then I'm her grandchild
And every time I think of it
It nearly drives me wild
For now I have become
The strangest case you ever saw
As husband of my grandma
I am my own grandpa

[chorus]

my head is spinning already...

btw did you know emperor nero was supposed to have been seduce by his mother into incesst while he was emperor? so i dont suppose incest is that much of a taboo if the romans did it:eek:

Taboos are one of the stupidest things ever invented by man. No subject should ever be all "hush-hush". This kind of thinking creates a backwards mentality.

If something is horrible and stuff, we should be able to discuss and debate why, in order to know why it's horrible and stuff. And if it's not, we should be able to discuss and debate in order to realise that in fact, there's no reason to consider it horrible and stuff.

Y'know.

couldn't agree more!

Taboo is what I am currently doing while I type this. It involves a goat, my pointer finger and a saltine cracker. I've already said too much.

do you play 'find the saltine' too?:p

I thought it was father/daughter incest?

Incest of any kind is taboo, depending where you are.

Actually, social taboos are more likely to emerge from the dominant females in a society.

Imagine, you are a strong, secure male at the head of a society. You are able to defend yourself from whatever others want to do, therefore, forbidding people doing what they want has little point for you, thus 'live and let live' is your guiding principle.

Now, imagine you are a woman. You are not as able to defend yourself if a man decides, for example, that he finds rape a fun activity. Liberalism thus seems like a pipe dream when your daily reality is under threat from violent males. The mechanism whereby taboos come into force is marriage, whereby the male, who otherwise is completely safe, gives in to the paranoid fears of his wife to oppress those beneath him.