Taboo

[[Image:Onozomg.gif|right|thumb|165px|Don't panic!]]
{{sociology}}

'''''Taboo''''' is a restriction of behavior that is deemed extremely socially unacceptable and profane in a society. Taboos exist in every society and when broken, cause people to lose their '''''fucking''''' minds.

== Word origin ==

The word entered the English language (and many other languages) from the Tongan language. In Tongan, it means "sacred". The word ''tabu'' (and its variants) is common in {{wpl|Austronesian languages|Austronesian languages}} which mostly stretch from parts of [[southeast Asia]] across the Pacific Ocean. In some Austronesian languages, ''tabu'' can have somewhat different meanings, for example referring to particular family relations with whom one has restrictive behavioral relations,<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=Taw8AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA707&lpg=PA707&dq=tabu+maternal+uncle&source=bl&ots=CB_6pDblJ6&sig=108iaBr36jTpgKoRfkR78FdkBpU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwivr6uut5jQAhWmhFQKHTshBmUQ6AEINTAH#v=onepage&q=tabu%20maternal%20uncle&f=false ''The Melanesians of British New Guinea''] by C. G. Seligman, Cambridge University Press 1910, page 707.</ref> or referring to a highly-valued unit of traditional currency.<ref>Richard Parkinson, ''Thirty years in the South Seas: Land and people, customs and traditions in the Bismarck Archipelago and on the German Solomon Islands''. Sydney University Press, 2010. {{isbn|1920899634}}.</ref>

== The purpose ==

Taboos exist to 
give people an excuse to get outraged about something
 maintain order in a society, as well as logical reasons. But overall, taboos are established because individuals are products of their environment and therefore feel pressures from others to conform.<ref name="hubpages">[https://archive.is/Ji8YW Why do Taboos Exist?] Archived from hubpages.com, 28 September 2009.</ref> In addition, "[s]ociety exists to maintain order, and taboos threaten that order".<ref name="hubpages"/>

[[Science]] and [[logic]] are used to back up taboos:
*[[Murder]] — Taboos maintain a society, killing gets rid of a society.
*[[Incest]] — Biologically, incest is an [[evolutionary]] dead-end<ref name="hubpages"/> 

While taboos are taken extremely seriously, past taboos seem outrageous in hindsight. This reflects how societal values have changed, and demonstrates just how arbitrary they can be.

==Taboos around the world==
===Universal and near-universal taboos===

* 
[[Paedophilia]]
 — 
The left movement
 a notorious rag in the UK says otherwise. [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/10948796/Paedophilia-is-natural-and-normal-for-males.html No, ''seriously'']…
*[[Cannibalism]] — Liking Campbell® chicken soup{{nofact}}
*
[[Homosexuality]]
 — Get with the times, grandpa.
*Murder — Despite what [[Bible]] [[God]] tells us.
*[[Spontaneous abortion in humans|Baby loss]] — Because mothers need a stigma to top off their depression from their loss.<ref>[http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-37618243 Parents want to end the taboo of talking about baby loss]. ''BBC'', 13 October 2016.</ref>
*[[Necrophilia]]
*
[[Bestiality]]
 — If you can manipulate the authorities strong enough, you can make them believe that it is a genuine love affair… at least in Cambodia.<ref>[https://archive.is/wUrq1 Hubby does it doggy style]. Archived from news24.com, 2 January 2005.</ref>
*
[[Rape]]
 — In some jurisdictions, the rapist is free of charge if he decides to marry the victim.<ref>Calvin Sims, [https://archive.is/Jp1O6 Justice in Peru: Victim Gets Rapist for a Husband]. Archived from ''The New York Times'', 12 March 1997.</ref>
*Incest<ref name="peopleof"/> — Despite what pornhub has taught us,{{nofact}} it is historically a firmly established taboo; however, this is changing in Europe<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6424337.stm Incest: an age-old taboo]. ''BBC'', 12 March 2007.</ref> (which had a pretty long-standing tradition of incest amongst its royalty anyways). However, what exactly constitutes incest varies; for example, first-cousin sex is illegal in some jurisdictions and completely normal in others.

===USA===
[[File:Woman-wearing-yoga-pants.jpg|thumb|right|200px|This is how you give someone in the Victorian Era a heart attack — her shoulders are '''clearly''' showing!]]
*Being [[Donald Trump]]
*
Being a [[racist]]
 — Removed because of redundancy, see above.
*
Girls wearing pants
 — And no, they weren't just wearing undies, they wore skirts.<ref name="huffingtonpost"/>
*The [[N-word]] — Unless said by a black person.
*
[[Japanese American internment|Being Japanese]]

*
Child outside of marriage
<ref name="huffingtonpost"/>
*
Visible bra straps
<ref name="huffingtonpost"/>
*[[Polygamy]]<ref name="peopleof">Jeanne Baird, [https://archive.is/V7ObC What Are Some American Taboos?] Archived from ''Our Everyday Life'', 2016.</ref>
*
Being a non-[[heterosexual]]
<ref name="huffingtonpost">Yagana Shah, [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/10/social-taboos-_n_5564560.html 9 Common Things That Used To Be Totally Taboo]. ''HuffPost'', 10 July 2014.</ref>
*[[Pedophilia]] — According to Americans, all men are [[pedophile|pedophiles]].
*Being Donald Trump — Repeated again for stress.
*Owning a [[gun]]
*
Being [[Russian]]

*Being a [[Mormon]] — Because Americans don't understand the religion.
*
Being a [[Communist]]

*Being a [[Muslim]] — Despite other false-threats to our nation, this time it's not just a [[moral panic]], we promise!

===China===
*{{wpl|Naming taboo}} — A [[Chinese]] taboo of writing the name of exalted members such as emperors. This seems more of a way to establish superiority to plebs than anything.
*"Flipping a cooked [[fish]]" — we can't make this shit up<ref name="mentalfloss">DeAnna Kerley, [http://mentalfloss.com/article/55357/13-dining-related-taboos-around-world 13 Dining-Related Taboos from Around the World]. ''Mental Floss'', 15 April 2014.</ref>

===India===
{{main|India}}
*Not following the [[caste system]] (if [[Hindu]]).<ref name="khoaanh">[https://archive.is/8Wtoi Cultural Taboos]. Archived from khoaanh.net, 4 January 2012.</ref>

===Japan===
{{main|Japan}}
*Not following dumb business customs.<ref name="khoaanh"/>
*Saying a private part by its actual name; it can even result in an obscenity charge.<ref name="matadornetwork">Agnes Rèdon, [http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/8-taboos-break-japan/ 8 Taboos Not to Break When in Japan]. ''Matador Network'', 7 November 2014.</ref>
*Not eating in specified locations.<ref name="matadornetwork"/>
*Blowing your nose.<ref name="matadornetwork"/>

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}