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

[Cash In 22,313]

I don't think there's inherently wrong with cursing, as long as you know, don't go overboard. I swear all the time, but I keep a limit on it depending where I am and who I might be with.

Edited April 24, 2023 by Cash In

[Dreambiscuit 9,691]

I used to swear a LOT. Really, I used swear words 10 to 1 over most regular words. I enjoyed it and had a certain creative flair for it. I figured that swearing, done correctly, was an art form like many others, and as such I wanted to be the best I could be at it. But I’ve since changed my mind about it when I heard some other people who were just as prolific as myself and, to be honest, it didn’t sound very pretty. Granted, I do still swear on occasion, but it’s more of a light seasoning rather than the main course, and I try to keep it to a minimum. I think a lot of people use it as a crutch, especially kids growing up, because it covers insecurity under a crude and indifferent exterior. But it’s too often overdone and that’s usually the death knell of any art form.  

[Crater Labs 2]

I don't like cursing personally. I can't say I have any moral or ethical argument against it (heck, some of my house church leaders recommend it as healthy) but it's just not for me. I find its overuse to be crass and, even its regular usages to be, I dunno. Uncreative?

Having said that, I've got a few friends who seem to have truly turned it into an artform, and I don't mind it when they swear so much. I don't know if I'm desensitized to them in particular, or if they just have a different "style" that knows how to make swearing classy or clever, but they seem to be exceptions.

Either way, for me I try to avoid it. If nothing else it makes for a fun writing challenge when I'm trying to work on stories or things.

[Vefka 1,499]

Swear words are just essentially the way to express your extreme emotions, nothing wrong here. With right use they can add some charm to speech, but also make speech tasteless and unappealing when overused. Swearing is kind of art I'd say

[ExplosionMare 18,062]

I don’t swear but I try not to let swearing bother me anymore. I’d appreciate if swearing wouldn’t pop up in so many songs, though. I’d prefer to just sing and not have to think of good censorships.

[DubWolf 17,263]

I’ve tried my best to get rid of most of it from my daily use. I don’t use it casually  .

[Sasoriman 136]

I used to swear like a sailor when I was 11. In fact, swearing was so funny to me when YouTube first arrived, I'd watch videos of other people swearing. 

But then I started reading the comments more...

To answer your question, like I said, I used to watch a lot of these kinds of videos and read the comments, so being desensitized is a foregone conclusion. It hasn't made me any less mindful, though. To point: I now only do it when something gets on my nerves and, in the rare instance that I'm in a social situation (I'm introverted), I ask people if they're okay with even a little cursing. 

Edited September 24, 2020 by Sasoriman

[Splashee 28,564]

Yes, yes, and yes! Bonus answer: Yes with a little confusion in my voice

[Codelyy 1,286]

I remember when I was a kid, I used to HATE swearing of any kind. Going through High School was a nightmare cause kids would swear all the time and I just never saw a reason to use it when you could use any other word. 

I still "sorta" stand by that logic but honestly I've become so desensitized to swear words that I honestly use them way more then I likely should now. It's got to the point where I naturally say a swear word and I don't really see it as an issue as long as it's not over excessive. If you know when and where you should and shouldn't swear then I'd say it's perfectly fine too. 

I may also still have a childlike attitude to it but I often find swearing to be comedic occasionally so it's also why I like to swear.

[Megas 27,628]

Cursing...is a way of life

[Ittoni 538]

swearing is to be insulting and hurtful. That's what those words were made for. 

Any other use is to make you look tough or cool or hip, or whatever. 

Therefore I don't use them, I don't say them in my everyday life, unless i intent to be insulting or if my intention is to actually hurt someone. And of course is more effective if you don't say them except for those occasions because you know I'm being serious.

I like to listen other people curse/swear in english for fun or as comedy because to me it's just sounds without any actual connotation, even if I know the meaning. It's more like expressions or sounds of reactions. Sometimes I would curse on english online or to myself but never in my natal language (unless is for the above explanation).

Edited September 26, 2020 by Ittoni

[Tom Gallagher 33,588]

I’m not much of a curser and if you’ll excuse my Rarity impression, I simply do not like people who curse all the time. 

[Narcissus 354]

I swear when it seems natural. I don't do it for effect or to sound 'cool' because it doesn't sound cool. Sometimes it's just the choice of words that suggests itself like anything else I might say. I swear but not to the exclusion of all other vocabulary because that would be undisciplined. Without self-discipline there's only weakness, and I don't care for weakness. 

[Splashee 28,564]

A challenge: Hit yourself on your thumb with a hammer, a few times, just enough to make you scream. How, what word do you want to scream? Is it a nice word?

 

I swear when I make a mistake that hurts, especially when the hammer hits my thumb, or when I bite my tongue!

[ExplosionMare 18,062]

I have gotten used to swears in some songs depending on who’s singing. I can’t stand non-stop swearing though cause I wanna be able to sing and not regret what I’m singing.

[Evil Pink One 13,506]

Actually swearing shows how immature one is... It shows how petty you are... Your choice of words are... Childish or mediocre. Your vocabulary is few. And you don't sound or act professional.

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,824]

Swearing is rude, childish and most of all, immature. It shows the kind of person that you are. I hate swearing, and any song I hear with swears, automatically goes on my blacklist. Anyone who swears at me...will ultimately pay the price. I'll leave it at that. 

[Rebel the Wolfgirl 5,601]

I have absolutely no issue with swearing, and I tend to have a dirty mouth myself. But that doesn't mean you should go around peppering your words needlessly with curses - swearing is a sort of art form. There's always a time and place for it. Not ALL swearing is inherently immature unless you're one of those people who swears without abandon and with pointlessness.

[Cirrus. 1,089]

I don't really care if people swear, because you know, freedom of speech. I usually only do If I'm really mad/frustrated like when working on a car and something isn't "cooperating".

I don't say anything if someone adds swearing just for the sake of it, but I do find that as kind of a put off and consider it as unnecessary and/or a bad habit- similar in a way to someone who says "like" as every other word.

 

Too much of it all the time though makes a person sound like an uncouth ruffian.

 

At work there's one manager I've known over 10 years who I exchange "F- You's" with as a greeting occasionally. Just yesterday he waved (normally) at me when I was leaving and I waved him the bird back. He's the only person I'm like that with, but it's all in good fun and usually only when no one else is around.

Edited October 17, 2020 by Cirrus.

[DixonTheAdversary 1,632]

I am fairly desensitized to cursing, pretty much all of my classmates cursed so I did too. However, it still feels wrong to curse in front of family.

[Justin_Case001 4,889]

Short answer, no--of course profanity isn't bad.  They're just arbitrary sounds.  How could arbitrary sounds coming out of your mouth hole be immoral as long as it's not hurting anyone?  That said, because the words do have meanings that we all agree upon, I never use profanity in public when strangers can hear, because you don't know how it makes others feel.  And no, it doesn't show maturity.  But neither is it necessarily immature.  It has nothing to do with maturity.  It's orthogonal to it.  However, I will say that even though profanity is just arbitrary sounds and therefore cannot be bad or immoral, it does often give others a clue to your demeanor when used in public.  I like profanity and use it fairly often in private, but when I hear somebody using it excessively in public, I immediately shy away from them and think that this is probably not someone I want to be in the company of.  It's not that I'm judging the morality of the sounds, but a predilection for that vocabulary in public often coincides with a personality that is less than savory.  So, it's not bad, (and it actually makes life a lot more comical and interesting) but just be aware of how and when and where you use it.

On 5/9/2015 at 2:21 PM, ManaMinori said:

Do you think the bible says anything about cussing?

What difference does that make?  It's just an iron age book.  If I wrote a book that said MLP is a sin, should they follow that 2000 years from now?

[AppleButt 8,675]

It doesn’t bother to an extent, but there is such thing as cursing too much. 
 

I really don’t like being around people who can’t filter their cursing in public or at least can’t keep the volume down on it where people around (especially those  with kids) can’t hear it.  
 

I think there’s a fine line.  There’s an appropriate amount of cursing, but too much is just lazy and not an appropriate way to show maturity  in my personal opinion. 

 

[Splashee 28,564]

I know I will go to hell when I pass away, because I said bad words. When I was little, I kinda found it funny to talk toilet humor. Like the word "poo" was very funny! Too bad it is a bad word, no one told me, and I am going to hell for it!

[Fluttershutter 2,457]

So bucking true! true

[Fluttershyfan94 5,742]

I don't swear much, not much reason for me to do so and I feel it is important to have a more mature vocabulary. People don't typically respect someone who swears a lot if you think about it.