This post is NOT for those under 18 without consent of a caring adult! It took way to long to write, but I wanted to get it just right!
I am 'cusser' or you could say I use 'swear' words. There are a few words or phrases I don't use but for the most part I do, my favorite one starts with an F, I mean you can really use this one in every way possible... you can check that out here.
But I have never really understood WHY some people are offended by cussing... So I decided to try and find out, I mean what really is the big deal... I found the below lists at http://www.cusscontrol.com/
Swearing Imposes a Personal Penalty It gives a bad impression It makes you unpleasant to be with It endangers your relationships It's a tool for whiners and complainers It reduces respect people have for you It shows you don't have control It's a sign of a bad attitude It discloses a lack of character It's immature It reflects ignorance It sets a bad example Swearing is Bad for Society It contributes to the decline of civility It represents the dumbing down of America It offends more people than you think It makes others uncomfortable It is disrespectful of others It turns discussions into arguments It can be a sign of hostility It can lead to violence Swearing corrupts the English language It's abrasive, lazy language It doesn't communicate clearly It neglects more meaningful words It lacks imagination It has lost its effectiveness |
I have educated both of my kids that cussing is not a "sin". But anytime I slip they get on to me. So in front of them I try to hold my tongue, but to be really honest... WTF??!? Aren't I just falling victim to the he-who-must-not-be-named scenario??
Why Swear?
http://harvardsciencereview.com/2014/01/23/the-science-of-swearing/
So, if taboo phrases are cultural “no-no”s, why do they persist? The simplest answer is that in certain situations swear words and taboo phrases have their uses: mainly to evoke a strong negative reaction from someone. Speech perception is nearly automatic in mature individuals (Pinker, 2007). Try this: don’t think of an apple. Did you think of an apple anyway when you read the word “apple”? With swear words, your mind immediately drags up whatever offensive combination of denotations and connotations are associated with the word in question when you hear it. These make swear words powerful insults and forceful descriptors of the nastier aspects of things we may not want to think about.
Swear words are also useful and effective ways of conveying that you feel very strongly about something or of inciting strong feelings in someone else, even when used outside of their traditional definitions (Jay, 2009a; Pinker, 2007). Saying that something is “bloody amazing” does not mean that that thing was literally bloody, but adding the term “bloody” to the phrase gives it extra emotional emphasis. The attention-grabbing qualities of the swear words used in this task make it especially difficult (Pinker, 2007). In a similar experiment, the use of taboo phrases in a word-location task increased subjects’ ability to correctly remember the location of the word (Mackay, 2005). Swear words effectively stir up strong emotions and grab our attention.
However, swearing is not always about evoking negative emotions; swearing itself can also be a cultural phenomenon. The willingness to break a cultural taboo in front of others creates an atmosphere of informality and sense of community. If taboos are defined by the greater society, an environment where subverting those taboos is acceptable creates a smaller, more intimate society inside of the greater society (Pinker, 2007). Another interesting use of taboo language is as a cathartic experience, a way of expressing and alleviating pain, frustration, stress, or regret (Jay et al. 2006). A classic example of this would be shouting “damn it” after hitting yourself with a hammer while trying to nail something down. Interestingly, studies have shown that, when compared with people who do not swear frequently, frequent swearers also tend to have lower pain tolerance (Stephens, 2011). Swearing was also shown to increase the ability of subjects to tolerate pain (Stephens, 2011). All of these uses contribute to the propagation of swear words and taboo phrases in language, despite their inappropriateness in certain contexts.
In the end I will continue to swear (cuss) because I have a Voldemort / "he-who-must-not-be-named" kinda philosophy... if you make it taboo you continue to give it life, if you don't people tend to accept it. My reasons for cussing are truly only used for informality and sense of community, I never want someone to feel 'outside' and that comes from many forms of language.
Till next time... aMiE
