Why do people swear so much?

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Moreno
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Re: Why do people swear so much?

Post by Moreno »

Spectrum wrote: I agree with LuckyR swearing is low class and should classified as so.
Though you are also describing your tastes on the matter.
Just like smoking was, many have been brainwashed by the media and movies that swearing is 'classy' or the "in-thing" because many celebrities do that in the movies. Such thinking has facilitated the acceptance of swearing as part of life in many cultures and this has become a habit to many.
Smoking is terrible on the body. There are objective reasons why smoking is bad.
However what is overlooked is the very poisonous [emotional] element in swearing. As I had stated in the earlier post, swearing is an expression of anger. Basically those who swear spontaneously [not as a habit] has bad anger management abilities.
I disagree. They may have anger management problems, they may not. They may simply be expressing whatever the emotion is, in that moment, in a particular way, that may or may not be accepted by their particular culture or subculture. And it need not be anger. Obviously some people, for example, use swear words when they are afraid. '****.' for example, with or without other words is a fairly common expression when afraid.
Every time that is an expression of the anger emotion, the relevant neuro-transmitters and other relevant chemicals are introduced into the blood and other system together with all sort of preparation for fight or flight.
If you are angry, you will have those brain characteristics, regardless of what words you use. Even if you politely 'smile' and keep silent.

Therefore the person who swear [habitually] is spreading chemical poisons [via instincts] in various degrees to all who are within effective listening distance or contact [movies, media, etc.]. Think about it!
It seems like you have a blanket condemnation of anger. I think anger can be a healthy emotion and further that restricting use of swearwords does not cut down anger. There are times when anger is the appropriate response, a natural one, and even that it can be unhealthy to inhibit it. I am not arguing that one should use swear words, simply that it is a cultural judgmen that these are 'bad' words.

-- Updated May 5th, 2017, 4:34 am to add the following --
LuckyR wrote:
Moreno wrote: (Nested quote removed.)

'It makes the swearer look...' to you, or to a certain group. There are cultures and subcultures which have a higher tolerance, validation of swearing than others. Further, over time, many cultures have become more accepting of swearing as a part of expressive language. I have my own biases where I get annoyed at swearing overuse, but these parallel any type of communication that is steeped in habit, where certain cliches, for example, are used over and over, or people say 'like' too much. I can get just as annoyed at people who overuse ornate vocabulary when simpler more direct speech or writing would be appropriate. To me the litmus test is how effective is the communication, given the goals of the speaker writer. And in certain situations I will use a lot of swear words: stubbing my toe can call up a torrent.
Since you kept my stipulation of: "... in mixed company", I assume you are in agreement with me. I am in agreement with you that the overuse of "like" is more similar than different, even though "like" isn't a swear word.
I am not sure how my keeping you stipulation of 'mixed company' entails that I agree with you. Mixed company means that there are women and men present. Those women and men may very well have different cultural judgments about when and if and how one can or should or should not use swear words. IOW they may be fine with the use of it. And I am not sure why the presence of women - I am assuming it is their presence - means that swear word use is worse or now bad.

-- Updated May 5th, 2017, 4:35 am to add the following --
LuckyR wrote:
Moreno wrote: (Nested quote removed.)

'It makes the swearer look...' to you, or to a certain group. There are cultures and subcultures which have a higher tolerance, validation of swearing than others. Further, over time, many cultures have become more accepting of swearing as a part of expressive language. I have my own biases where I get annoyed at swearing overuse, but these parallel any type of communication that is steeped in habit, where certain cliches, for example, are used over and over, or people say 'like' too much. I can get just as annoyed at people who overuse ornate vocabulary when simpler more direct speech or writing would be appropriate. To me the litmus test is how effective is the communication, given the goals of the speaker writer. And in certain situations I will use a lot of swear words: stubbing my toe can call up a torrent.
Since you kept my stipulation of: "... in mixed company", I assume you are in agreement with me. I am in agreement with you that the overuse of "like" is more similar than different, even though "like" isn't a swear word.
I am not sure how my keeping you stipulation of 'mixed company' entails that I agree with you. Mixed company means that there are women and men present. Those women and men may very well have different cultural judgments about when and if and how one can or should or should not use swear words. IOW they may be fine with the use of it. And I am not sure why the presence of women - I am assuming it is their presence - means that swear word use is worse or now bad.

-- Updated May 5th, 2017, 4:36 am to add the following --

Strangely when I quote from another post it merely gets added to my previous post. I will try this way:
I am not sure how my keeping you stipulation of 'mixed company' entails that I agree with you. Mixed company means that there are women and men present. Those women and men may very well have different cultural judgments about when and if and how one can or should or should not use swear words. IOW they may be fine with the use of it. And I am not sure why the presence of women - I am assuming it is their presence - means that swear word use is worse or now bad.
Spectrum
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Re: Why do people swear so much?

Post by Spectrum »

Moreno wrote:It seems like you have a blanket condemnation of anger. I think anger can be a healthy emotion and further that restricting use of swearwords does not cut down anger. There are times when anger is the appropriate response, a natural one, and even that it can be unhealthy to inhibit it. I am not arguing that one should use swear words, simply that it is a cultural judgment that these are 'bad' words.
You are too quick in jumping to conclusion re 'blanket condemnation'.

Anger is a primary emotion which is critical to facilitate the survival of the individual[s] and therefrom the human species. Thus how can I condemn anger if it is a critical emotion for the human species?
Since we are human beings and not animals we need to heed Aristotle's
  • Anybody can become angry - that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way - that is not within everybody's power and is not easy.
    https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quot ... 32211.html
Swearing is a form of loose [not in control] expression and secondary polluted type of the anger emotion.

Point is, if one has a high degree of empathy [supported by an efficient level of mirror neurons] one will try to avoid swearing [or control to minimal or none at all] so as not to literally poison others.
Not-a-theist. Religion is a critical necessity for humanity now, but not the FUTURE.
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LuckyR
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Re: Why do people swear so much?

Post by LuckyR »

Moreno wrote:
LuckyR wrote: (Nested quote removed.)


Since you kept my stipulation of: "... in mixed company", I assume you are in agreement with me. I am in agreement with you that the overuse of "like" is more similar than different, even though "like" isn't a swear word.
I am not sure how my keeping you stipulation of 'mixed company' entails that I agree with you. Mixed company means that there are women and men present. Those women and men may very well have different cultural judgments about when and if and how one can or should or should not use swear words. IOW they may be fine with the use of it. And I am not sure why the presence of women - I am assuming it is their presence - means that swear word use is worse or now bad.
I was referring to the fact that you were citing the different attitudes of different subgroups (which is accurate, BTW). So in MIXED company, meaning folks of different subgroups (your use of mixed company meaning men and women is from the 1950s), a constant swearer is going to be viewed by a number of people (not all, as you correctly pointed out) as low class.
"As usual... it depends."
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SimpleGuy
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Re: Why do people swear so much?

Post by SimpleGuy »

Well some people would see swearing as some kind of prayer to an invisible beeing, having perhaps the same effect as the prayer in some religions. The god of offense, seems to be in every mind. There are so many people using their bad habits as a method for psychological projection of their inner mood , that are after usage of these words even totally normal in their behaviour and not even agressive anymore after swearing. So to reduce swearing just to a bad education or habits doesn't suffice to depict the true reality, the psychological mechanisms for swearing behave sometimes just as a valve, that after usage even reduces the aggressive state of the person.

-- Updated October 27th, 2017, 10:12 am to add the following --

At least if one believes in different mechanisms of the metaphysical world this could be at least an explanation.
Chili
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Re: Why do people swear so much?

Post by Chili »

check out
Steven Pinker - The Language of Swearing (1/2)
Lone Wolf
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Re: Why do people swear so much?

Post by Lone Wolf »

I am responding to the original question without having read the other responses. I learned early in life that people who use epithets constantly do so simply because they do not have sufficient vocabulary to express themselves emotionally. What I notice about myself is that when I am with people who swear constantly, I will sometimes come down to their level if I need to interact with them. Otherwise, I choose not to come down to their level. My father was a man who had a seventh grade education and spent his life working with people who were also educationally challenged. Swearing was common in that culture. My mother had one year of college before her father died and she had to drop out. She was an English major and took great pains to keep her children from adopting Dad's vocabulary. She was only partially successful. All three of my siblings use swear words as an integral part of their speech although they clean up their language when with people who don't swear.
Steve3007
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Re: Why do people swear so much?

Post by Steve3007 »

I learned early in life that people who use epithets constantly do so simply because they do not have sufficient vocabulary to express themselves emotionally.
Interesting point. I guess these days the global epithet assigner in chief is Trumpy. Failing New York Times. Crooked Hilary. Liddle Bob Corker. etc. An epithet for everyone and every epithet in its place.
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Ignorare
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Re: Why do people swear so much?

Post by Ignorare »

Lark_Truth,

Swearing, as you said you were told at a young age, can be seen as being more in touch with one's emotions. You appeared to gawk, however, at being in tune with negative emotions. Morally, society views negative emotions as something to avoid, a thing to be ashamed of. I find that this is not the case,however; it is just as pertinent to acknowledge and express negative emotion, albeit in a productive and healthy manner, as it is to address, channel, and accept positive emotion. Being able to balance one's emotional state prevents the bottling of things like anger or depression. As for the question of whether swearing is morally appropriate, I have this for you: Morals, at their base, are a direct representation of good or bad and are inherently gray by nature; there are simply too many 'what if' scenarios for a definitive answer to be given. I will say, however, that for many, mainly those who do swear, the act of expressing anger, sadness, etc through language is exceedingly more productive than bottling it away to be released later, possibly in a physical assault upon someone or something. Additionally, as LuckyR stated, swearing has the effect of desensitizing yourself to what would be an otherwise offensive action of merely making vibration patterns at someone. Similar to nullifying the offense of the vilified word 'nig-ger' by popularizing it's derivative term 'nig-ga', which went from a derogatory term of extreme racism to an almost all encompassing word to mean any subject the user wishes to refer to, swearing often takes away the negative connotations that Puritan Christians popularized during the 16th and 17th century. If English speakers were to revert to the original meanings of words now considered swears, 'f-uck' would come to mean (following the Germanic origin) "To breed, copulate, or engage in sexual intercourse"; this is surely an adult topic, but not inherently immoral as it is a natural action involved in carrying on the human race as a species. Likewise, words such as 'ass' (a donkey or mule), 'bitch' (a female dog), and 'dick' (an unpleasant individual, or even a riding crop by a mid 19th century definition, though it was devised to have gained it's less than favorable meaning from military use in the later 19th and early 20th century) would lose any inherently moral wrongness when used.

On the whole, I'd be preferential to saying that swearing is not a morally wrong concept, but is none the less frowned upon by those who wish to take a moral high ground.


LuckyR,

While I can agree that swearing is a simple way of desensitizing one of any negative feelings to the use of such language, I must disagree that those who swear are of any lower intelligence than those who do not. I swear, and I know many, wiser and much more intelligent than myself, who swear just as abundantly as I do. The use of one word over another is hardly a way to judge intelligence; language, being just an expression of idea and emotion, is, by no logical conclusion, an accurate way to denote IQ, wisdom, or reasoning skills.
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LuckyR
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Re: Why do people swear so much?

Post by LuckyR »

Ignorare wrote: January 15th, 2018, 5:57 pm LuckyR,

While I can agree that swearing is a simple way of desensitizing one of any negative feelings to the use of such language, I must disagree that those who swear are of any lower intelligence than those who do not. I swear, and I know many, wiser and much more intelligent than myself, who swear just as abundantly as I do. The use of one word over another is hardly a way to judge intelligence; language, being just an expression of idea and emotion, is, by no logical conclusion, an accurate way to denote IQ, wisdom, or reasoning skills.
Uummm... I said swearing is low class, not low intelligence. There are plenty of intelligent, low class people, right?
"As usual... it depends."
Steve3007
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Re: Why do people swear so much?

Post by Steve3007 »

I said swearing is low class, not low intelligence...
I think there are plenty of middle and upper class people who swear like dockers. But I guess the fact that expressions like "he swears like a docker" or "swears like a navvy" are fairly commonly used means that the idea of "low class" people swearing more than "high class" people does exist at least as a stereotype, if not in reality.
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LuckyR
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Re: Why do people swear so much?

Post by LuckyR »

Steve3007 wrote: January 16th, 2018, 4:56 am
I said swearing is low class, not low intelligence...
I think there are plenty of middle and upper class people who swear like dockers. But I guess the fact that expressions like "he swears like a docker" or "swears like a navvy" are fairly commonly used means that the idea of "low class" people swearing more than "high class" people does exist at least as a stereotype, if not in reality.
You are asking too much of the comment. Everyone knows that markers don't have 100% specificity. Thus why plenty of multimillionaires drive Ford F150 pickups and several of lower middle class folks drive Mercedes.

My comment was not a demonstration of accuracy, it was an acknowledgement of the message you are sending (rightly or wrongly) to a substantial minority of the broader audience of your performance.
"As usual... it depends."
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Sy Borg
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Re: Why do people swear so much?

Post by Sy Borg »

I love swearing. It grieves me that we can't swear on the forum. There are times when nothing gets yer ya yas out like a well weighted swear word.

It is healthy to express rather than repress. Heck, only yesterday there was a news article about a fellow who blew a hole in his throat by stifling a sneeze. Swearing provides a similar metaphysical pressure release. If you suppress your bad self too much ... I wouldn't want to be alarmist, but ...
Steve3007
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Re: Why do people swear so much?

Post by Steve3007 »

Greta wrote: If you suppress your bad self too much ... I wouldn't want to be alarmist, but ...
You end up as one of those people who suddenly flips one day, takes an assault rifle into the office and starts picking off former co-workers ("Take that Martin from accounts! That's the last time you steal my Post It notes!")

Yes, sneezing, swearing and wanking should never be forbidden.
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Sy Borg
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Re: Why do people swear so much?

Post by Sy Borg »

Better out than in, as they say!
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LuckyR
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Re: Why do people swear so much?

Post by LuckyR »

Greta wrote: January 16th, 2018, 5:54 pm Better out than in, as they say!
True, BUT it is possible to express the identical inner emotional release as well as distress among your adversaries without actually using common "swear" words.
"As usual... it depends."
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