Swearing and the Respect Gimmick

Why the heck do people hate swearing so much? It's already past time we got used to it. Here's why you should.

‘Respect’.

There are a lot of people out there worthy of respect. But at the same time, there’s an equal or perhaps larger amount of people who aren’t. And then there’s the people who aren’t and pretend they are. Why should I respect a person of authority purely because they’re a person of authority? That’s not a very thorough judge of character.

The respect gimmick is too often used unceremoniously by people who believe themselves entitled to it. The blanket statement of respecting everyone is only partially correct. You’re supposed to take in someone’s character over time and make a judgement on whether they are worthy of respect, not just give them that blindly. This opinion that all people of authority should be respected is incredibly flawed, because there’s people who will exploit it, inevitably look stupid for it, and then still get away with it because they’re in authority.

On swearing specifically, I do agree that there is a time and place for it – but not literally. It shouldn’t be that when I go to work I have to scrub my mouth clean with holy water, it should be that when I approach a sensitive topic worthy of respect that I tread with caution. But to refrain from it for someone else’s sensibilities (provided they don’t have an actual trauma response to it or something), that’s bullshit. Who says their sensibilites are the correct ones? Why should I have to numb my cultural views in favour of theirs? If you swear, swear. If you don’t, don’t.

The Stagnants

People need to realize that times have changed. Swear words have changed from a grave sin to an ornamental element akin to punctuation, fuck to a mid-sentence exclamation mark, shit to a new symbol for disappointment or despair. It’s simply not that serious. These days that’s the way we’re heading and you adapt or die. A few decades post and ‘fuck’ will be the new ‘golly gee willikers’.

There’s that one argument of ‘why use swears? There’s so many other words you could use!’. Well then, why use ‘what the heck’ when there’s so many other words you could use? This just falls flat. Oh, it’s censored away commonly – and? As I said, societal values have changed. I could just as easily ask someone why they refrain from swearing – it’s used so commonly!

Then people will tell you that swearing is simply unsophisticated, that you should artfully articulate your thoughts upon the finest of silk canvases in lieu of horrid and disgusting language such as the – god forbid – alternate word for ‘poo’.

Look, What Barbarians!

You do realize decorum isn’t absolutely everywhere, right? I don’t wear a fancy suit to the local pool. I should be allowed to swear at that pool, because swear words are, in this era, just punctuation. It’s a pool, for fuck’s sake. I’m out swimming with friends and you’re telling me to speak as if I’m starring in a Shakespearean sonnet? If the kids at the pool hear me saying fuck, let them. It’s their parents jobs to teach them when to use those words and when not to — exactly as one would teach a toddler to stop constantly making jokes about the toilet.

The lack of sophistication attributed to those who swear is simply another stereotype, and it’s no more valid than any other. You’re making split-second judgements of character off the tiniest of impressions, assuming that since I said the word shit I must be living in a cave lit by firelight and decorated by charcoal etchings. Yes, it’s lazy, but that doesn’t mean I’m lazy by all metrics. Just because I said the phrase ‘I don’t give a fuck’ doesn’t mean I can’t say with just as much ease ‘I carry no significant regard for the ideas you have presented.’

They’re Just Words.

The meaning of a word is made up. If the word fuck was from its inception meant to represent all that is good and holy no one would bat an eye when I used it. It’s not in the composition or pronunciation of the letters, it’s just cultural context. So then, why is it acceptable to say ‘holy macaroni’, or ‘you barking dog’, or ‘what the fudge’, but not an actual swear? The meaning is the same in both, it’s just the syllables that are different.

Oh, but sometimes they have another meaning that’s super offensive!, they’ll cry in despair. Well then. Bitch can also mean a female dog. Retard used to be a clinical medical term and now it’s a horrible insult. Bondage can be used by a flowery writer as a fancy alternative to ‘chains’ or something. It’s all about context and if I use the words in the right context there’s no damage done.

And shit literally just means poop. I cannot get over people getting offended at a glorified version of ‘poop.’

Conclusion

Unless you’re talking to someone with a traumatic trigger for swearing, it harms nothing but pride. The pride of people who probably judge everything else about you as they judge your vocabulary, who revel in the use of stereotypes and participate in cringe hate, whether they realize it or not.

We should all just stick with our own values and stop pushing them on other people – and do keep in mind that’s not what I’m doing. I’m here to suggest, not to force, unlike the many anti-profanity crusaders out there.