Cussing, Swearing, Profanation - oh my!
In today's society, we hear foul language almost everywhere. At school, at work, at the grocery store and yes, even in Starbucks.
What's worse is that we hear profanity from almost everyone, as well. Including our parents, coaches, teachers and peers. And i mustn't forget to mention the occasional twelve-year-old.
But my question is why do these people feel the need to use that sort of language? Using the excuse of "I was angry" or "That caught me off guard" is just pathetic. Those are no validated reasons to use profanity, and you know it, potty-mouth! There are plenty of other words that can be used in such situations, and if you don't know any of them I suggest you meet a friend of mine that I like to call a Thesaurus.
I suppose the title of this blog shouldn't be 'Why People Cuss' so much as it should be 'How Cussing Affects People's Image'; but that didn't sound as good as the former. Personally, I could never wrap my mind around why people swear, seeing as I haven't said a curse word in....well a long long while. So as to better understand this growing trend, I turned to, well, the public. Yes, I really did ask random people and my peers why it is that they cuss, or why they think others do. The most common answers were as follows: "it makes me seems cooler", "it makes me sound more mature" (yes because we do hear wiser, more mature people using swear words), and "I say them (swear words) so often I don't even notice it".
These poor, poor people. So misguided and so without class. It's not that I think people who swear are beneath anyone, but it appears to me that the main reason people curse is to boost their image; which is shallow enough on its own.
Let me enlighten you as to how cursing really makes you look. For one, I am definitely aware that word choice and diction are capable of making one seem more mature, but an intriguing fact about ALL swear words is that they ALL manage to lower one's maturity status (in the eyes of others) considerably. Whomever started the rumor that cursing makes you seems like an adult is, excuse me for this, an idiot. And whomever believed that person is an even greater idiot! Swearing is just one of those things that makes strangers look at you, lean in to their friend and whisper, "Kids these days are so immature!". Swearing doesn't give off the illusion of maturity, it gives off the stench of trashiness. It's like littering or popping your gum loudly, it makes you seem rather sleazy.
Or what if you say swearing makes you look "cooler"? One: You shouldn't care what other people define as "cool", as it's different for every person. And two: Who in reality says "Wow he/she cursed, let's make him/her the cool kid in school!"?
Moving on.
For the many people that said they don't notice they cuss anymore because they use it (and probably hear it) so often. This is the biggest answer that worries me.
It means that your profanity has become second nature; it means profanity is a way of life for you.
Perhaps because you were brought up around this type of language? You weren't taught that there are other ways to communicate. I'm not going to tell you that you're a bad person because of this, because you're not, it's the people who raised you that should be at fault. I believe that parenting is more than the adult teaching the child and telling the child what and what not to do. I believe that parents should monitor themselves as well, because their children, no matter what age they may be, are listening. Your children look up to you and hear the words you say and therefore think it's okay to copy you. What starts as an innocent attempt to be like Mommy or Daddy turns into a dirty habit that can last a lifetime. So please, think before you swear, parents. And when you hear your child using those kinds of words, reflect upon yourselves as to where that word or phrase may have come from before punishing. Whose fault is it really? And more importantly, 'How can we fix it?'.
I'm certainly not trying to preach you into "changing your ways", but I hope this can make people think before they let a curse word fly. If not for themselves, then for the public who, whether you want them to or not, is listening.
