Many swearing individuals claim that the best way to express themselves or to get employees to do something is to swear and then they add, 'That is what they understand best', but is that really true or is it that the one who swears does not have a good enough command over their language to think of colorful words that can replace the swearing? What is your view?
Swearing as a form of expression does indicate that an individual may not have command over their language to use alternative words. Swearing can sometimes be used when in the company of good friends in a lighthearted or comical way. I try my best not to swear but sometimes when I become upset it can slip out, and that is something I would need to work on.
I realize it is popular to say that someone who swears does so because they don't have a big enough vocabulary to choose other words. This is nonsense in my opinion. As a matter of fact, I believe I have a very good grasp on the English language, yet I used to swear quite frequently. I no longer do, but on occasion, I lose control and slip. So, for me swearing is a matter of control not vocabulary. For others it is neither.
To some it is just an acceptable way to speak. When I was not active within my religious organization, the people with whom I associated found swearing to be an acceptable form of communication. It wasn't done only in anger, which is what seems to me to be suggested in the situation as referred to by Neo.
LDS, do you swear in Spanish?
Edited: tenaheff on 15th Oct, 2004 - 12:06pm
In some parts of the African American community, many words that I consider to be profanity are considered normal communication tools. Cultural context also has a lot to do with the acceptability of certain words.
I agree with tenaheff, that it is more a matter of control and personality than vocabulary. After all, John Kerry and Dick Cheney both have had stories recently of using very profane language, yet both are extremely well educated, articulate men. One of them used that language almost casually, and the other was heavily provoked when he used it.
I said once in a blue moon. It would have been nice to answer never, which is very close to the truth, but blue moons do happen. I'm the same as LDS. English is my second language, and in Hebrew, swearing is not common. Swearing reffers mostly to people over there not like hear where every second word could be a swearwords.
I think there are two main reasons people start swearing:
a.) its normal (swearing is around them all the time)
b.) they want to be cool (the "in crowd" swears all the time)
From there, it becomes a habit. Nowadays, almost everyone is exposed to swearing in their homes through television.
It may be off-topic, but what happened to the days when TV had good shows with actual content and girls that wear clothes?