Is cursing bad? Are you desensitized to it? Does swearing show maturity?

[Antidaeophobia 299]

I don't believe in superstitious language, this means, I don't believe there is such a thing as good words or bad words. Language is about intention, and I can tell you, someone who doesn't curse, but calls you an 'ignoramus', hurts far more than someone that says 'I fucking love you'; one is expressed with love, but with cursing, the other is without a curse, but is rude and mean't to lower another persons self esteem. Do we still praise the one without the curse simply because the other uses as 'bad word'?
If you spend more time listening to whether someone curses, instead of the meaning behind what they say, then that demonstrates you to not be a very effective listener. 
I believe in expressive language, and in cursing; and if someone is going to shut themselves off from what I have to say over a simple 'fuck' in my sentence, then that means they aren't very far off from shutting themselves off from other things I have to say that they may disagree with. I think the height of immaturity is to try and control what comes out of other peoples mouths simply because you think it could hurt you. As my mother would say 'put on your big girl panties and deal with it'

[Aviator 12]

Cursing is bad to me if im near my elders like my nana or grandparents

But i cuss if im with friends

[RavenholmZombie 1,329]

In all honesty, as someone who curses, I don't see it as a bad thing. I see it more as a "There is a time and a place for it" type of thing. But that's just me

[Antidaeophobia 299]

I find lazy speech is more annoying than cursing. If someone has a great point to make but curses, then I never judge that. But if someone says 'ya know' a bunch of times, or has sexy baby vocal virus. UGH, I hate sexy baby vocal virus. I WILL judge you if you speak with sexy baby voice.

 

Edited May 13, 2015 by Antidaeophobia

[CoolConfucius 54]

Depends on how frequent and how it's used.

 

On frequency: To me, someone who swears a lot (in every other sentence, a lot in a single conversation) comes across as insecure, but someone who rarely swears or doesn't swear at all comes across as lacking confidence. A few cuss words in a conversation sounds like a healthy moderation to me, but moderation is subjective.

 

Swearing with the intent to hurt someone is immature. Swearing as a natural reaction to something can come across as lacking self control if done too much. Swearing for humor or to make things lighthearted can be good if done right. 

Edited May 13, 2015 by CoolConfucius

[Attack of the Pwns 894]

I used to be very offended by cursing, but now less so. I realized that the only reason curse words are socially unacceptable is because they might offend people, and then I began to notice that when I was obviously disgusted by other people's cursing, those people were offended as they perceived me as being "snooty".

 

So, while I don't curse, I don't feel we should necessarily chastise others for it unless it gets out of hand or under other special circumstances (I.e. cursing when children are around, cursing in the presence of those who you know are offended by it, etc.)

[Thorn O Discord 118]

Is it wrong?

Probably.

 

Am I desensitized to it?

Yeah, probably.

 

Does it show maturity?

Not a chance in a thousand eternities.

[null123456 759]

I couldn't goddamn give two motherfucking shit fucks about motherfucking cursing.

 

In other words, nah, I don't care.

[Omar 692]

I believe that swearing is definitely bad. It seems like people could describe things with much better words, but they decide to just throw in a random swear word. Sadly, after spending about a year on the internet, I have become desensitized to swearing, though I am still disgusted at how much people swear.

 

 

Please keep in mind that this is just my opinion.

Edited May 14, 2015 by Omar_25

[gone~ 614]

In the past I used to not swear at all, because I was a member of the LDS Church. Even during that time, I didn't really mind when others would swear. Now, I sometimes swear, but usually only when I'm upset ^^; Also, I make sure not to swear in front of my parents because they don't like swearing, and I make sure to give the same respect to others who are uncomfortable with swears ^^

 

I don't think that swearing is bad, but I think that there are situations where it wouldn't be appropriate to swear.

[SombrasCourtMusician 55]

I'm actually taking a class on the subject of swearing and taboo language, so I might be able to provide a different perspective.

 

First, from a morphological and syntactic viewpoint, swear words can do things ordinary language cannot. The most obvious examples in English of morphological changes are found in expletive infixations. For example, "abso-bloody-lutely" and "fan-fucking-tastic" are commonly found in speech, however it is impossible to replace swear words with orpthophemisms in such a way. Along with syntactic structures that are normally impossible (I.e. The phrase "Fuck you" cannot be explained by normal rules of grammar) linguists have found strong evidence that taboo language has its own rule set outside of normal language.

 

This is also supported by research done on patients with brain injuries and by testing brain activity on different sides of the brain. Unfortunately, I've not focused on the neurological aspect so I cannot say much here.

 

In short, however, taboo language is processed differently than norma language and is handled on the right side of the brain, whereas most communication processing occurs on the left.

 

Now, onto the effects of swearing.

 

The first reason for the usage of swearing is its emotional effect. When people hear swear words they have a small surge of adrenaline and their skin begins to sweat slightly (measured using very specialized tools to detect skin moisture). In experiments, patients who were told to shout swear words were able to handle painful situations better than those told to shout words such as "table" or "cell phone". Used in moderation, it can also relieve stress and has been shown to prevent violence when swearing is performed before hand (does not apply to invective swearing).

 

While swearing too often can be bad both from a social and psychological point of view (extreme swearing is correlated with aggression), so too can preventing yourself from swearing (as it may cause an increase I stress).

 

TL;DR Swearing in and of itself isn't negative, however one should keep in mind the company when they choose to do so (Context is king).

[Hypn0ticD 1,213]

Does swearing some something about you? Positive or negative?

 

It says a lot of negative things about me, but at the same time, I really don't care all that much!

 

Is cussing a serious matter?

 

For me? Admittedly, yes... but as I said before, I really don't care all that much!

 

Do you take steps to avoid cussing, or do you actively (or occasionally) swear, yourself?

 

When I'm at work and on the job, then I do my best to not swear soas to not get in trouble or lose my job...

 

 

Do you notice when someone cusses around you? Does it bother you, or are you desensitized?

 

I do notice, but since I'm one to talk, I don't let it bother me! Also, there's contex. Many people I know curse to vent out frustration and anger, so there's really no reason to be offended!

 

Do you think the bible says anything about cussing?

 

I think it does, but it's been a while since I've read it.

[Invincible 2,090]

In order: Cursing isn't bad, words are meaningless to me unless they carry a weight of action with them, and no more than yelling at someone after they've taken candy from you.

 

Cursing or swearing isn't bad; there are various levels of how you interact with society. I for example don't care whether or not someone, myself included, in my group of friends curses. I wouldn't, however, use the same vocabulary in the presence of my professors or even my family. Just because i hear my neighbors cuss and swear all the time doesn't mean they stunt my vocabulary. I control my brain, and not vice versa.

 

I don't think it shows maturity either. Just flaunting your vocabulary (however questionable it is) just indicates you have chosen to learn or have been exposed to a certain word and it's meaning and now you know it. Maturity is when you know to speak properly when proper is due, even if the situation doesn't necessarily call it.

[Minute_Man 56]

Honestly, the problem that I have with the opposition to cursing is the fact that there is practically nothing to be offended about most of the time. Curse words generally are used to express emotions, such as to show you are angry, shocked, or even happy. Why should we have to apologize for feeling these emotions and expressing them in our own way, especially when there is no real context behind them to get offended by.

 

Of course, this doesn't apply to insults, which are obviously always rude and offensive.

[Positively Pinkie 109]

Eh.

Cursing is a powerful tool to release pent up energy or some stuff.

Like I try to watch my language most of the time. But if I accidentally drop a heavy object on my foot, it actually helps to use colourful language to alleviate the pain for a while. Or for when I'm really upset. I do swear a bunch when I'm in private and stuff just isn't cooperating.

 

In the end, I can find myself with the idea that issues with bad language is something we should get over.

[Jackie Snack 1,498]

It's most likely been said already, but cursing is a social construct. : P The word 'hilarious' could have been used as a curse word or 'negative' word. Hell, sometimes innocent words that seem fine could insult somebody else, depending on there situation. After all, you don't HAVE to take offense to a curse word, right? It's your choice.

 

Btw, not all interviewers care about curse words. : 0

[Moved to Elsewhere 11,330]

It depends on the situation. If you're hanging with friends and they're completely okay with it or you're doing it to get you're point across, then it's okay.

 

How ever, if you're talking to an authority figure like a boss or a parent, it's not a good idea due to it being unprofessional.

[Here No Longer 5,271]

*BUMP*

 

I personally believe cursing is one of those things that's quite healthy in moderation. It allows people to vent their emotions in a matter that harms nothing and nobody. Do I think it's bad around children and in certain situations? Heck yeah I do. But I believe that it's nothing to be very sensitive about. I do it all the time in casual conversation, myself. 

 

So I say to f***ing cuss away! Say all the $#!+ you want as long as you aren't doing it in d@^^n stupid situations. Here though I say censor it and use it in moderation as I have.

Edited June 25, 2019 by ~Angel Dust~

[TBD 17,232]

Is cursing bad? Putting bad juju on people, yes.

Are you desensitized to it? More like annoyed if one cuss like a sailor. Or used it poorly. 

Does cussing show maturity? Define maturity.

[Lucky Bolt 35,014]

Uhhh....I dunno. I think it depends on what you use cursing for.....

[Rebel the Wolfgirl 5,585]

I have a foul mouth and tend to curse quite a bit. But I don't think people should curse excessively. That's just rude.

[Sherem 4,807]

swearing it's necesary, but only do it when you have the biggest of impulses, not all the time 

[bigbertha 410]

I honestly hate people who think that swearing is inherently a bad thing. I don't what what old people stuck in the 1950's say, swearing doesn't make you less mature and there are positives to throwing a well placed fuck into a rant. Of course, social awareness is important and you shouldn't swear when around people who would be offended or think less of you when you swear, but if you're alone or on the internet or around a group of friends, who cares what some old farts say?

Also, swearing excessively isn't bad because it's "rude" or some shit. It's bad because it means each swear has less impact. Swearing is fun because there's a rush in your brain and a certain level of shock value when you say one. Overusing them leads to them blending into everything else you say and losing what makes them special.

[CheeryFox 23,811]

15 minutes ago, bigbertha said:

I honestly hate people who think that swearing is inherently a bad thing. I don't what what old people stuck in the 1950's say, swearing doesn't make you less mature and there are positives to throwing a well placed fuck into a rant. Of course, social awareness is important and you shouldn't swear when around people who would be offended or think less of you when you swear, but if you're alone or on the internet or around a group of friends, who cares what some old farts say?

Also, swearing excessively isn't bad because it's "rude" or some shit. It's bad because it means each swear has less impact. Swearing is fun because there's a rush in your brain and a certain level of shock value when you say one. Overusing them leads to them blending into everything else you say and losing what makes them special.

I agree with this. And swearing is wonderful. 🌺

[The Historian 515]

Swearing definitely does not confer maturity, no. If you do so excessively, it confers the opposite. It means you lack the mental capacity to use more than rudimentary words to describe something. While I do still use these particular words, I use them when I need the emphasis. For example, calling a customer's computer a "complete piece of shit" has more impact than just calling it bad or a "turd" as we like to call it. Or this example, saying that someone is a fucking moron when they cut you off in traffic has a greater impact than merely calling them a jackass or what have you. Swearing is fine though and I would much rather see swear words taken off their pedestal so we stop pretending that they're the worst things ever. We no longer need to clutch our collective pearls and faint when someone says "fuck."