Why do people swear so much?

[LuckyR]

I agree that it is easier and simpler.

I was thinking more along the lines of metaphorically innocent until proven guilty and don't fix what's not broken than ease.

Which is fine, though to some of your audience,

This is true and I don't toss it out in many stranger and work situations. And generally I am not out to offend. I am not saying it is wrong to use it around others who dislike those words as a rule, but I do have practical guidelines around their use.

Most in the heat of the moment don't care. Some after they cool down do care and regret it.

I can't think of a time I regretted the works. I have overreadted to what was happening, but it's the overreaction that I have regretted or my misunderstanding or dumping.

Personally I like to win and I don't like to lose, so I am not drawn to vocabulary associated with losers.

Wow. You implying others are losers is something you might regret? While at the same time keeping the judgment as possibly not yours but some unnamed other people's judgment?

I'd much rather have someone in the heat of the moment say F U to me than have them say something like...
Your behavior is associated with losers.

I see no reason to value the kinds of insults used in the upper classes or at court over direct expression of anger.

First of all, I believe everything you wrote is both sincere and accurate.

For example, your second paragraph basically is a rewording of what I am trying to say.

And while you say you don't regret using swear words, by your own description in paragraph 2, you choose NOT to use them in certain situations. Which is basically proving my point that others who don't have your "practical guidelines", and thus have regrets and yes may appear (rightly or wrongly) as losers to certain audiences.

BTW, I didn't decide that certain folks consider those who swear are losers, I'm just pointing this reality out. It doesn't really matter what I think about the use of swear words (just as it doesn't matter what you think), they have certain cultural effects of emphasis, intimidation, insulting and yes they imply certain things (perhaps not accurate) about the user.

Lastly, the fact that you (and I, for that matter) prefer to be sworn at than being dressed down without swear words again underscores my point that while swear words are insulting by their nature, they're pretty pathetic in that role.

[Moreno]

First of all, I believe everything you wrote is both sincere and accurate.

For example, your second paragraph basically is a rewording of what I am trying to say.

And while you say you don't regret using swear words, by your own description in paragraph 2, you choose NOT to use them in certain situations. Which is basically proving my point that others who don't have your "practical guidelines", and thus have regrets and yes may appear (rightly or wrongly) as losers to certain audiences.

BTW, I didn't decide that certain folks consider those who swear are losers, I'm just pointing this reality out. It doesn't really matter what I think about the use of swear words (just as it doesn't matter what you think), they have certain cultural effects of emphasis, intimidation, insulting and yes they imply certain things (perhaps not accurate) about the user.

Lastly, the fact that you (and I, for that matter) prefer to be sworn at than being dressed down without swear words again underscores my point that while swear words are insulting by their nature, they're pretty pathetic in that role.

Here are the differences between our positions as I see them:
1) I think you are incorrect to say

You could just as easily give that power to "darn", it is up to you.

I don't think this is the case for many people. It would take a specific effort and would not be as satisfying for many. Further I think it is based on a confused pyschology. I and others don't make decisions to give certain words the effects they have on us. These effects build up over time via experience. Yes, I could invest a great deal of time and energy trying to weed these words out entirely, but there is no moral reason to. (I will take up the issue of my own self-censure in some situations in a later point).
2) I would never say...

Uummm... I said swearing is low class, not low intelligence. There are plenty of intelligent, low class people, right?

You do say elsewhere that some people will judge the person this way. But even there you word it as swearing 'makes them look'. No, it doesn't make them look...Other people make assumptions, that, as you might say, they could choose not to make. I think that's where the focus should be, if anywhere.
3) I wouldn't say...

Personally I like to win and I don't like to lose, so I am not drawn to vocabulary associated with losers.

For a couple of reasons. I'd prefer not to lose, but I recognize that letting people's judgments has a cost. And I am losing something when I, as a rule, avoid certain things. In mixed company, as you put it, I will mention that I have gay friends. As a practical person, in certain bars, I might not do this. But in general, just as with cursing, I am going to irritate some people, sometimes, who have hallucination moral judgments of certain words or certain sexualities. Yes, I do suppress myself in certain situations, but always there are limits and with anyone those words may come out, in certain situations. And I recognize that security sometimes comes at a cost. So, I am certainly not going to tell people that as a rule it is just as easy to not use those words, because it is not. It certainly is for some, for example some people raised in religious households, where it would take effort to start using those words. But for many people, no, quite the contrary, it is not as easy and there is a cost. Further I think it is losing to let the hallucinated values of others determine my behavior. So, while I try to take care of myself, there are limits and I frequently take the risk or blurt out things in mixed company.
4) I think it's odd that you frame the options like this...

Well think about it, Swear words (from the perspective of your own mind) don't have magical powers of tension release, unless you give it that power. You could just as easily give that power to "darn", it is up to you. As to the perspective of other people, say your enemies, sure you could cuss them out, but let's face it, a middle school simpleton can as well. Not much of an attack if you ask me. OTOH, if you can mortally embarrass a work enemy in from of their superiors without using a swear word, while appearing to actually be nice to them... now that is owning them.

First, yes, they don't have magical powers, but for those that they do have those effects, they do have powers of tension release. I don't think anyone attributed those powers to magic, so I think this statement is, in context, false or a false response to the other person. But more importantly, you jump from the use of swear words to the assumption - which seems present in a number of your posts - that winning and losing are the primary issues. And winning and losing in relation to others. I can be extremely pissed off as someone but not have as my goal my being the winner and them being the loser. The swear words come as expressive. And, of course, they can be expressive in relation to things and organizations or policies or kitchen devices in an office coffee room. It is very rare that I really want to make someone look like a loser in front of someone who is an authority figure for them. It happens and I will happily use passive aggressive techniques if that is the only way to make a situation better, but it's a pretty last resort. Put this another way: you mentioned that people might regret using swear words. Sure. But you fail to mention (notice?) that someone might regret trying to (succeeding in) making someone look like a loser. We may regret all sorts of things. And high class or upper class ways of winning or making other people look like losers can, hopefully, be just as easily be regretted. In fact, for me, given my experience of both types of expressions of aggression, I vastly prefer someone's blunt, so called low-class, anger with swear words, to someone using more passive aggressive machievellian approaches to express their anger at me. And I connect this to how I would be more likely to regret the latter than the former.

It may not be your intention or position, but it seems like you see swearing as low class and that high class ways of getting others are better. As a rule. Two, it seems like you accept the idea that other people's values should be left unchallenged and be allowed to set policy. Yes, I try to protect myself from idiots, especially if they can hurt me, professionally for example. But I am aware they are idiots (about this issue) and any caution I made in relation to others would include that judgement of mine. And let me be clear. Some people are just not used to hearing those words. I understand if they find them upsetting. But I see no need to accept their judgments as somehow neutral. (as in your saying something like you may be accurate about swear words not being unacceptable. It does come off as 1) you have class based judgments about these words and are not simply being practical about them. 2) you are concerned about winning and losing in interactions and tend to see contexts in those terms rather than others where there is anger.

It may not be the case that you share the judgments of those you meant who would make it mixed company, but I think if you read through your posts you will at least be able to see how this is a likely, even fair reaction. Further you seem aware and concerned about the side effects of using swear words, but not aware or at least not mentioning, the side effects of just accepting the other's values as a given and the side effects of using other ways of expressing anger.

[Moreno]

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.

I'm glad that you don't judge anger in a blanket way and I did say 'seems'.
However I see no justification for considering swear words as pollution or the spreading of chemical poisons. The quote from brainyquote does not support this.
I find passive aggressive forms of anger expression to be much more toxic, but that could also be a taste issue. In any case, I need to see some actual justification for this idea.

[LuckyR]

First of all, I believe everything you wrote is both sincere and accurate.

For example, your second paragraph basically is a rewording of what I am trying to say.

And while you say you don't regret using swear words, by your own description in paragraph 2, you choose NOT to use them in certain situations. Which is basically proving my point that others who don't have your "practical guidelines", and thus have regrets and yes may appear (rightly or wrongly) as losers to certain audiences.

BTW, I didn't decide that certain folks consider those who swear are losers, I'm just pointing this reality out. It doesn't really matter what I think about the use of swear words (just as it doesn't matter what you think), they have certain cultural effects of emphasis, intimidation, insulting and yes they imply certain things (perhaps not accurate) about the user.

Lastly, the fact that you (and I, for that matter) prefer to be sworn at than being dressed down without swear words again underscores my point that while swear words are insulting by their nature, they're pretty pathetic in that role.

Here are the differences between our positions as I see them:
1) I think you are incorrect to say

You could just as easily give that power to "darn", it is up to you.

I don't think this is the case for many people. It would take a specific effort and would not be as satisfying for many. Further I think it is based on a confused pyschology. I and others don't make decisions to give certain words the effects they have on us. These effects build up over time via experience. Yes, I could invest a great deal of time and energy trying to weed these words out entirely, but there is no moral reason to. (I will take up the issue of my own self-censure in some situations in a later point).
2) I would never say...

Uummm... I said swearing is low class, not low intelligence. There are plenty of intelligent, low class people, right?

You do say elsewhere that some people will judge the person this way. But even there you word it as swearing 'makes them look'. No, it doesn't make them look...Other people make assumptions, that, as you might say, they could choose not to make. I think that's where the focus should be, if anywhere.
3) I wouldn't say...

Personally I like to win and I don't like to lose, so I am not drawn to vocabulary associated with losers.

For a couple of reasons. I'd prefer not to lose, but I recognize that letting people's judgments has a cost. And I am losing something when I, as a rule, avoid certain things. In mixed company, as you put it, I will mention that I have gay friends. As a practical person, in certain bars, I might not do this. But in general, just as with cursing, I am going to irritate some people, sometimes, who have hallucination moral judgments of certain words or certain sexualities. Yes, I do suppress myself in certain situations, but always there are limits and with anyone those words may come out, in certain situations. And I recognize that security sometimes comes at a cost. So, I am certainly not going to tell people that as a rule it is just as easy to not use those words, because it is not. It certainly is for some, for example some people raised in religious households, where it would take effort to start using those words. But for many people, no, quite the contrary, it is not as easy and there is a cost. Further I think it is losing to let the hallucinated values of others determine my behavior. So, while I try to take care of myself, there are limits and I frequently take the risk or blurt out things in mixed company.
4) I think it's odd that you frame the options like this...

Well think about it, Swear words (from the perspective of your own mind) don't have magical powers of tension release, unless you give it that power. You could just as easily give that power to "darn", it is up to you. As to the perspective of other people, say your enemies, sure you could cuss them out, but let's face it, a middle school simpleton can as well. Not much of an attack if you ask me. OTOH, if you can mortally embarrass a work enemy in from of their superiors without using a swear word, while appearing to actually be nice to them... now that is owning them.

First, yes, they don't have magical powers, but for those that they do have those effects, they do have powers of tension release. I don't think anyone attributed those powers to magic, so I think this statement is, in context, false or a false response to the other person. But more importantly, you jump from the use of swear words to the assumption - which seems present in a number of your posts - that winning and losing are the primary issues. And winning and losing in relation to others. I can be extremely pissed off as someone but not have as my goal my being the winner and them being the loser. The swear words come as expressive. And, of course, they can be expressive in relation to things and organizations or policies or kitchen devices in an office coffee room. It is very rare that I really want to make someone look like a loser in front of someone who is an authority figure for them. It happens and I will happily use passive aggressive techniques if that is the only way to make a situation better, but it's a pretty last resort. Put this another way: you mentioned that people might regret using swear words. Sure. But you fail to mention (notice?) that someone might regret trying to (succeeding in) making someone look like a loser. We may regret all sorts of things. And high class or upper class ways of winning or making other people look like losers can, hopefully, be just as easily be regretted. In fact, for me, given my experience of both types of expressions of aggression, I vastly prefer someone's blunt, so called low-class, anger with swear words, to someone using more passive aggressive machievellian approaches to express their anger at me. And I connect this to how I would be more likely to regret the latter than the former.

It may not be your intention or position, but it seems like you see swearing as low class and that high class ways of getting others are better. As a rule. Two, it seems like you accept the idea that other people's values should be left unchallenged and be allowed to set policy. Yes, I try to protect myself from idiots, especially if they can hurt me, professionally for example. But I am aware they are idiots (about this issue) and any caution I made in relation to others would include that judgement of mine. And let me be clear. Some people are just not used to hearing those words. I understand if they find them upsetting. But I see no need to accept their judgments as somehow neutral. (as in your saying something like you may be accurate about swear words not being unacceptable. It does come off as 1) you have class based judgments about these words and are not simply being practical about them. 2) you are concerned about winning and losing in interactions and tend to see contexts in those terms rather than others where there is anger.

It may not be the case that you share the judgments of those you meant who would make it mixed company, but I think if you read through your posts you will at least be able to see how this is a likely, even fair reaction. Further you seem aware and concerned about the side effects of using swear words, but not aware or at least not mentioning, the side effects of just accepting the other's values as a given and the side effects of using other ways of expressing anger.

Thanks for the thoughtful and detailed reply.

You are correct that I didn't address the "side effects" of NOT using swear words. I, of course agree that they exist and must be part of the equation in deciding what to do. But whatever the negative effect of, say insulting someone without swear words would be (and I freely admit that they exist), they are relatively better than insulting someone USING swear words.

Also, I agree that my approach is more focused on what others get out of an interaction than what I get out of it. The reason for this focus is when all is said and done, interactions have a short term and a long term residual impact. Swear words have positive power mostly in the short term: intimidation, insulting, tension relief etc. I know of no positive long term residual effect of their use. At best, it would be forgotten (neutral) but mostly negative (hot headed, poor self control, low class, insulting etc).

I thought it was obvious that non swear words DON'T naturally have as much tension releasing power (for just about everyone) as swear words do. So we're in agreement there. My point was the much less obvious and less frequently used fact that an individual who seeks to give equal tension releasing power to non swear words can do so, though I acknowledge few see the value, even though there IS value, in doing so.

For clarity, I see almost no symbolic difference between swearing and say, slamming something I am carrying down on the ground. Both are naturally effective in emphasizing my point, both are effective tension releases, both are by their nature intimidating, both have potentially negative effects on one's appearance to onlookers and thus to your point this effect usually is part of the equation in deciding when and under what circumstances to use them. Physical acts are even more extreme than swearing so are in a different category, but only in quantity, but the two share the same quality. I point this out since there is almost universal acceptance that physical acts are negative, swearing is, in some circles, a mini version of the same thing. Long story, short I agree that if one doesn't care about the opinions of folks "in some circles", go for it, swear away.

[Alan Masterman]

Can anyone else give a reason as to why people swear so much?

Just the most obvious ones: lack of impulse control, insensitivity, verbal diarrhea, a way to get my pet dragon's attention, etc.

I would point out that dragons, to the best of my knowledge, are unique to Gaelic and Far Eastern cultures, and so I would question whether your pet dragon really comprehends your English swearing...

[Anil G]

I heard that if we swear when we are frustrate or anger then it helps us to calm down easily. I guess people are frustrated and has a anger in them and they are just trying to calm themselves by swearing.

[LuckyR]

I heard that if we swear when we are frustrate or anger then it helps us to calm down easily. I guess people are frustrated and has a anger in them and they are just trying to calm themselves by swearing.

I agree that swearing can have that effect on oneself, which in the case you describe can be a good thing.

Though having said that, I look at swearing differently. I experience adults swearing (and other episodes of "acting out") in a hypercompetitive scenario, namely during tennis matchplay. In this environment because of the scorekeeping opportunity it is very easy to quantify things like "relieve tension" or "calm themselves". I can tell you that when a player throws a tantrum, the vast majority start losing even faster than the run of loss that caused the original outburst. I'm not saying that this is because swearing doesn't relieve tension, but I can say that the message it sends to your competitors is that you're vulnerable and so it emboldens them. Regardless of the mechanism it does tend to lead to a more dramatic loss.

Not interested.

[Pattern-chaser]

So, dear fellow philosophers, I am coming to you with this burning question: Why do people swear so much?

For emphasis. They are intensifiers. It expresses emotion. If you overuse them, I think it detracts from their usefulness. Where the sweet spot is in the number of uses is a taste issue. As is the issue in general.

As discussion here has re-opened, I offer this quote, from earlier on, that really seems to answer the question asked in the OP. 'Swearing' is for emphasis, exactly like exaggerating for effect, "I've told you a million times...". And when we swear because we just slipped with the knife and cut ourselves, the swearing actually reduces the painful effects. [I.e. it reduces the perceived pain, not the effects that caused the pain.]

[LuckyR]

So, dear fellow philosophers, I am coming to you with this burning question: Why do people swear so much?

For emphasis. They are intensifiers. It expresses emotion. If you overuse them, I think it detracts from their usefulness. Where the sweet spot is in the number of uses is a taste issue. As is the issue in general.

As discussion here has re-opened, I offer this quote, from earlier on, that really seems to answer the question asked in the OP. 'Swearing' is for emphasis, exactly like exaggerating for effect, "I've told you a million times...". And when we swear because we just slipped with the knife and cut ourselves, the swearing actually reduces the painful effects. [I.e. it reduces the perceived pain, not the effects that caused the pain.]

Excellent description of why folks swear... but the OP asked: why do people swear SO MUCH?

[Pattern-chaser]

So, dear fellow philosophers, I am coming to you with this burning question: Why do people swear so much?

For emphasis. They are intensifiers. It expresses emotion. If you overuse them, I think it detracts from their usefulness. Where the sweet spot is in the number of uses is a taste issue. As is the issue in general.

As discussion here has re-opened, I offer this quote, from earlier on, that really seems to answer the question asked in the OP.

'Swearing' is for emphasis, exactly like exaggerating for effect, "I've told you a million times...".

And when we swear because we just slipped with the knife and cut ourselves, the swearing actually reduces the painful effects. [I.e. it reduces the perceived pain, not the effects that caused the pain.]

Edited to add: I think swearing can also act as a sort of pressure-release valve, dissipating excess stress in the form of swearing?

Excellent description of why folks swear... but the OP asked: why do people swear SO MUCH?

Perhaps because they wish to avail themselves of its benefits, either as an emphasiser, or for one of its other effects? Sorry, I'm stating the obvious, but I can see no other appropriate response to your question...

[LuckyR]

Excellent description of why folks swear... but the OP asked: why do people swear SO MUCH?

Perhaps because they wish to avail themselves of its benefits, either as an emphasiser, or for one of its other effects? Sorry, I'm stating the obvious, but I can see no other appropriate response to your question...

Sorry for being difficult to understand, I was trying to highlight the difference between use and overuse.

[Pattern-chaser]

Excellent description of why folks swear... but the OP asked: why do people swear SO MUCH?

Perhaps because they wish to avail themselves of its benefits, either as an emphasiser, or for one of its other effects? Sorry, I'm stating the obvious, but I can see no other appropriate response to your question...

Sorry for being difficult to understand, I was trying to highlight the difference between use and overuse.

I sort of got that, but don't really see a useful distinction between the two. Some choose to emphasise what they're saying a lot more than others do, by including more 'swear' words in what they say. Is that f*cking "overuse"?

[LuckyR]

Excellent description of why folks swear... but the OP asked: why do people swear SO MUCH?

Perhaps because they wish to avail themselves of its benefits, either as an emphasiser, or for one of its other effects? Sorry, I'm stating the obvious, but I can see no other appropriate response to your question...

Sorry for being difficult to understand, I was trying to highlight the difference between use and overuse.

I sort of got that, but don't really see a useful distinction between the two. Some choose to emphasise what they're saying a lot more than others do, by including more 'swear' words in what they say. Is that f*cking "overuse"?

Exactly my point. When using relative descriptors such as "emphasize", it only fulfills that definition if used rarely. Any relative descriptor that describes an uncommon event (on the edges of the bell shaped distribution) yet is used routinely becomes the new "average" or "common". It no longer means emphasized, not unlike emails you receive in ALL CAPS.

[Pattern-chaser]

The OP asked: why do people swear SO MUCH?

Perhaps because they wish to avail themselves of its benefits, either as an emphasiser, or for one of its other effects?

I was trying to highlight the difference between use and overuse.

I sort of got that, but don't really see a useful distinction between the two. Some choose to emphasise what they're saying a lot more than others do, by including more 'swear' words in what they say. Is that f*cking "overuse"?

Exactly my point. When using relative descriptors such as "emphasize", it only fulfills that definition if used rarely.

The meaning of any word can become diluted. It's a sad consequence of it being used. The more often we hear it, the less we, er, hear it. But this is just life, and no reason not to use a word, or words, in a particular way. To minimise the use of words just to minimise dilution would also be a sad event, don't you think?

[Pattern-chaser]

Then again, there is the perennial example, often heard in British pubs: "The fʋcking fʋcker's fʋcking fʋcked!" It may not say very much, but what it does say is (surprisingly) intelligible. And it does provoke conversations like the one we're having here...