One’s first encounter with profanity is often not with an actual word but with the censorship of one; think of movie ratings, explicit versions of songs, and older siblings bragging about knowing what the F-word is. From a young age, we were conditioned to believe all of the negative connotations of expletives. For many, that only increased interest in knowing and using the words. It’s almost as if our parents were asking us to rebel; they told us not to eat the cookies in the cookie jar but then they handed us the cookie jar anyway.
Sure, swearing is only a small act of rebellion. Depending on the setting, it may raise an eyebrow or two. In reality, the only thing bad about swearing is that we have all agreed that it’s bad (for obvious reasons, this statement excludes all non-inclusive profanity that targets marginalized groups). While the origin of swearing points to existing solely to disrespect things that are sacred and religious, it is now just associated with poor decorum.
However, everyone swears, at least from time to time. There are curse words in nearly every language under the sun; even our president swears a fair share. There’s a reason we do it so often, obscene language elicits an emotional reaction that physically empowers us. When we’re in pain, this reaction is so strong that it actually distracts our brains from the discomfort.
Several studies have reflected that our bodies are stronger when we swear. Whether you’re at a tough fitness class, jumping into a freezing body of water, or giving birth to a child, using profanity can improve your tolerance of pain.
As the world continues to become more and more casual every day, swearing is slowly becoming more commonplace. Many public figures like Gordon Ramsay and Carol Bartz, the former CEO of Yahoo, have been made famous for spewing expletives. Still, 81% of employers consider it unprofessional behavior.
Should we just say “f%*$ it” and do it all the time anyway? While some argue that careful, proper usage of profanity may allow one to be more persuasive and successful, there is research that suggests that is actually just promotes an atmosphere of negativity. It’s almost the opposite of laughing.
Ultimately, it’s all contingent upon the context. Certain people may grant a potty mouth more or less credibility depending on how they view profanity. If you’re just trying to let off some steam as you open up a tightly-sealed jar of pickles, go ahead. But if you’re conversing with a coworker in front of the boss you’re hoping will promote you in the near future, you should probably hold off.