"Professionalism" is usually nothing more than a euphemism for using PC/CYA language and avoiding any type of discussion of hard truths because they might offend someone in power.
Technology as an industry would be better if we discarded it.
"Professionalism" is expressing yourself without using ad hominem attacks or insults. Using professionalism actually makes your points stronger, since people are forced to discuss and debate facts instead of how focusing on how you are behaving like a child.
I'm sick of this idea that "professionalism" == whiny or politically correct and being "honest" allows you to be a jerk. The entire thing is so unproductive.
What's unproductive is forcing people to tap dance around their true feelings on a subject for fear of hurting someone else's feelings. As a grown adult, I'd much rather have someone use offensive language but be honest than spend so much effort trying not to offend anyone that we all have to guess at what they really want.
What it comes down to is that someone being a "jerk" can be willfully ignored or looked past to see what their point is. (And IMO, stubbornly refusing to do this is a lot more of an indication of childishness than how few four letter words you use.. i.e. it's a tone argument, i.e. near bottom of PG's hierarchy)
If the "point" part is unclear, there's no looking past it, and the problem never gets solved since asking someone to stop beating around the bush is seen as jerk behavior.
Technology as an industry would be better if we discarded it.