Swearing

Nope, I don't swear in normal conversation but, I might do if I get really mad! Fortunately, there is not much that makes me really mad these days :)

If other people choose to swear, that is up to them but, it does become boring if it is used in normal conversation. I once worked with a lady who spoke like a BBC news reporter, even though she dropped in the odd swear word, it was so funny that no one ever got offended.
 
As a Marine, it's hard to convince people that I don't swear. When you are with Colonels and Generals, it's not a good idea. But, just like a few here, if a wrench slips off the bolt or nut and my knuckles hit the engine block, I may let a few slip by.

Sailors are different. I have heard the expression "She swore like a drunken sailor." That's another reason I stay away from swearing. To be out on a date, I have 2 rules; no swearing, no spitting. You may be laughing, but I dated a woman right after I retired and she spit better than I ever could. I knew she wasn't the girl for me. As far as I know, she could have had some chew under her lip.
 
A year or two ago was a longer similar subject thread. Not a fan of recent era film media and those that spew swear words like diarrhea. During the Viet name War, I was in the military so have heard it all. I'm not impressed by those many that have habits of frequently using swear words in their verbal social communication. The reason those that do so cannot easily stop sometimes even when they are in sensitive company is because of neural plasticity. The more one does something repeating repeating, the more such becomes part of what one is. Thus to reduce swearing, a person with that habit must consciously try not to. Over time the old neural plasticity will degenerate but that takes time.
 
Never used swear words, as best as I could remember. My parents never used them either. I may have used "fudge" occasionally in my youth. I also think the "F" word is disgusting. It makes me feel sick to my stomach when I hear it or read it. That's why I can't watch comedians these days that drop these words often or read books with those words in them. It's like throwing dirt into a pot of food, spoiling the flavor. But that's due to my sensitive nature, and I'm not condemning anyone who is ok with swearing. Each person is different.
 
palides2021 said:
Never used swear words, as best as I could remember. My parents never used them either. I may have used "fudge" occasionally in my youth. I also think the "F" word is disgusting. It makes me feel sick to my stomach when I hear it or read it. That's why I can't watch comedians these days that drop these words often or read books with those words in them. It's like throwing dirt into a pot of food, spoiling the flavor. But that's due to my sensitive nature, and I'm not condemning anyone who is ok with swearing. Each person is different.
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I can honestly say I haven't sworn since 1978! At least as far as I recall! One thing has always had me baffled. In North America using the word "Jesus" casually is usually considered an offense by most Christians, while in Southern Germany if you're startled by something you'll say "Jesses Gott!" (Jesus God) or if you are really unpleasantly surprised it might even be "Jesses, Maria und Joseph" and no one will think you are cursing. You are asking for divine help in the situation! Almost like a short prayer!
 
oldaunt said:
People swear because they don't really know any real words, is what I was taught. Seems to run fairly true.
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Murrmurr said:
That is a wholly fallacious myth....pardon my French. :p
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According to this article, I must be brilliant! 👩‍🎓😊

"Swearing could actually be an emotional release valve and studies show that people who swear like a sailor are more honest and more intelligent." Surprise, surprise... 😆

"Well, damn. Maybe you stubbed your toe first thing in the morning. Or some thoughtless commuter forced you to slam the brakes on the drive to work. Perhaps you’re just fed up with it all and feel like sinking to your knees and cursing the heavens.

If you’ve ever suppressed the urge to unleash a string of obscenities, maybe think again. Some research suggests that it might be a better idea to simply let the filth fly.

Scientifically speaking, a penchant for profanity doesn’t seem to be such a bad thing. Studies have shown that swearing relieves stress, dulls the sensation of pain, fosters camaraderie among peers and is linked with traits like verbal fluency, openness and honesty.

And the effects of cursing are physical as well as mental. A 2018 study in Psychology of Sport and Exercise found that letting out a few choice words during a workout can actually make you stronger. In the study, participants who cursed aloud while gripping a hand vise were able to squeeze harder and longer.

Timothy Jay, professor emeritus of psychology at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, thinks that humans partly developed taboo language as an emotional release valve.

“There’s a point where it’s just more efficient to say, ‘F*&^ you,’ than it is to hit somebody,” adds Jay, a world-renowned expert in cursing. “We’ve evolved this very efficient way to vent our emotions and convey them to others.”

Pain Relief ​

As anyone who’s ever struck their thumb with a hammer can attest, swearing is a pretty common response to pain. But for years, some pain specialists thought that cursing doesn’t really help much in those situations. They theorized that swearing might actually have a “catastrophizing” effect, meaning that it prompts people to exaggerate or overstate the severity of pain.

In 2009, researchers from Keele University’s School of Psychology in the U.K. set out to study whether swearing alters someone’s experience of pain. Based on previous assumptions that swearing was a “maladaptive” response to pain, the scientists guessed that swearing would make pain feel worse.

But, surprisingly, the scientists found that swearing actually increases an individual’s pain tolerance. The team tasked 67 undergraduate volunteers with plunging their hands in ice-cold water for as long as they could handle it while repeating a swear word of their choice. Then, they did the experiment again — but this time, the students said a neutral, non-taboo word. The research team found that volunteers were able to keep their hands submerged in the frigid water for longer while repeating the swear word.

In addition, because swearing was accompanied by an increase in heart rate, the scientists think that cursing may trigger an individual’s “fight-or-flight” response. They suggest that swearing triggers negative emotions that serve as an alarm bell, alerting someone to danger and sparking an innate defense mechanism.

Damn Honest ​

Beyond swearing's impacts on the body and mind, research has shown that cursing can influence our social dynamics, too. A 2012 study found that swearing can enhance the effectiveness and persuasiveness of an argument. In addition, cursing can also convey an emotional reaction to something without us resorting to physical violence.

And while many might consider swearing less than savory, a recent study revealed that people who curse often actually lie less and have a higher degree of integrity.

After the scientists surveyed how often participants use profanity, they conducted a series of tests to determine how truthful an individual was. The research team found a positive link between profanity and honesty. Cursing was associated with less deception on an interpersonal level, and higher levels of integrity overall.

Fluent in Foulness ​

For many, the use of obscene language isn’t just a sign of boorish behavior — a common assumption is that people swear because they lack the vocabulary, education or even intelligence to express themselves in other ways. In other words, when language fails, we curse.

“It’s a form of linguistic snobbery,” says Jay, referring to the presumed link between swearing and intelligence. “It’s a cultural stereotype. But the more I became sophisticated in language studies, the more I realized that every language scholar knows that’s not true.”

To deconstruct this myth, in 2015, Jay and a research team explored another possibility — that “fluency is fluency,” regardless of linguistic content. The psychologists found that an individual’s fluency in the English language was linked to fluency in swearing. In other words, swearing may actually be a sign of greater intellect, not less, and a more robust vocabulary.

In the study, the researchers asked volunteers to think of as many words beginning with a certain letter of the alphabet as possible in one minute. Afterwards, they tasked the volunteers to rattle off as many swear words as they could within the same time frame. By comparing the scores in both fluency experiments, the scientists found that those who scored higher in verbal fluency were also better equipped to spout off obscenities. "

“People who are good at producing language are good at producing swear words,” adds Jay. “It’s not because they don’t have language — it’s because they have a whole toolbox full of words.”

Swearing Like A Sailor May Not Be Such A Bad Thing > https://www.discovermagazine.com/he...mouth-swearing-could-actually-be-good-for-you


Bella ✌️
 
Old Salt said:
But seriously, I did read in a book only recently that the C word wasn't considered to be as offensive in the U.K. and Australia as it is in North America. Can't quote the source but am not lying! I do take your word for it that it is seldom used and just as offensive, HD!
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that book was wrong.. it's THE most offensive curse word in the UK
 
I'm guilty. I do drop a bad one more often than I should. I was raised in a household where no swearing was done, but life taught me some bad habits. I do try to moderate my tongue, though.

I remember my daughter coming home from kindergarten and saying, "I'm going to say a dirty word!"

I said, "OK".

"Well, I'm gonna say it now!"

"OK"

"You're gonna get mad!"

"Probably not."

"Well, I'm gonna say it now. <DIRTY WORD>"

"OK."

"Did you hear me?"

"Yep."

"Are you mad?"

"Nope. You finished now?"

"Sheesh!" and she stomps off.

End of dirty words.

Two little brothers got up one Saturday. The older one said to the younger one, "Hey, let's say dirty words today in front of Mom today! I'll say hell and you say damn."

They go downstairs to the kitchen and their mother asks them what they want for breakfast. The older one says "Ah, hell, I'll have some cornflakes." Mom glares at him, slaps him right off his chair, and turns to the younger one. "And what do YOU want for breakfast?" Says the younger brother, "Well, it sure as hell won't be those damn cornflakes!"
 
Manatee said:
When I was in the Navy in the 1950s anyone that didn't swear was thought to be odd. There were no females on ship in those days.

It was said that some old timers could curse for 15 minutes without repeating themselves.
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Same holds true for (most) construction crews.

After acceptance into the Iron Workers Union, my son was in training with a seasoned construction crew and a supervisor walked up to him at the work site and asked, "So, aspiring young foreman, what have you learned from these guys today?"

"Well sir," my son said, "apparently they're not breasts, they are titties," and the whole crew went rigid and held their breath ...until the supervisor laughed and said, "Carry on, fellas."
 
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