I was a pretty naïve young lady when I went to work in a hospital. But, it didn’t take long for me to learn the colorful and varied expressions cast about in my department. Potty-mouth came easily to me. Now research says that people who swear are creative, beautiful, emotionally intelligent geniuses.
There are multiple studies out there that expound the catharsis of cursing. One of the newest actually proved that swearing relieves pain! (www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-do-we-swear/) Another suggests that people who use curse words artfully and persuasively have a wider vocabulary and usually that is considered an indication of intelligence. A 2016 survey said that 57 percent of employees will and can swear at work. I think it’s much higher and a lot of people did not answer truthfully. Cursing makes you feel stronger and it is a great coping mechanism. And well, it certainly lets off a lot of built up steam.
Swearing can be social. You do it with your friends and your co-workers. You don’t do it with your boss. Some swear words can be used in many different ways in a sentence. It can be a noun, an adverb, a verb, or an adjective, take your pick. It’s very expressive. You can shout it, whisper it, or write it. It allows us to express many kinds of emotions. We can find the words for surprise, joy, anger, happiness and silliness. Sometimes plain words are not enough to get across the point.
There are some expletives that are not socially acceptable. You know the ones. And please remember, regardless of how intelligent you feel for swearing, it doesn’t mean those listening will be tolerable. There is a risk here. And as with many things, the more you do it, the less the effect.
Just saying…
