Why profanity INCREASES your VOCABULARY
Do you also have the tendency to curse after every word? Of course you do because swearing feels good. Many people associate people who swear with ignorant, uneducated individuals. Those people are wrong.
People who curse find creative ways to express their feelings and they also still have a larger vocabulary.
Larger vocabulary
Recent research has shown that not all people swear out for lack of vocabulary, but because they consciously choose to express themselves in that way. There has even been found that people who use a lot of swear words have a larger vocabulary.
The research was conducted by psychologists Timothy Jay Jay and Kristin from Marist College and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. 43 respondents were involved in this study between 18 and 22 years. Of the 43 respondents, 30 were female. All participants were asked to think of as many swear words as possible within 60 seconds. Then they were asked to come up with names of animals as much as possible within the other sixty seconds. This allowed the researchers to get an indication of their general vocabulary and interest in language.
In total they found 533 different swear words in this study. With a small amount of not very well-known, but very inventive epithets such as' cum dumpster "and" ass pirate.
Communication skills
People taking epithets often in the mouth not only have a larger vocabulary, they also show a more creative way of emotions. They don’t let themselves interfere with what is socially acceptable and to feel free to express their feelings directly.
Conclusion
Excuse is no longer necessary. Swearing is part of the language of your emotion. The exclamation point in your spoken sentence. The confirmation of your position. Embrace your somewhat uncouth form of communication.
OMG!! Great post. I was thinking about this very subject yesterday... how I used to be a fairly mild mannered homeschool mom until my kids became teenagers and entered the public school system. I blame it on them - it just became habit after hearing them do it. ALL THE TIME. Swear words are a normal part of their vocabulary these days and I kindof wish it wasn't so. Although I admit, I do have a tendency to curse like a sailor when I'm really really mad, something I've always done.
Lol. Glad you recognize it!! My parents told me not to curse, and I still don't do it on a daily basis. But indeed, when I am really mad I curse and curse and curse, until I calm down! :-)
Yeah... that's the thing. Is it okay or not? I tend to be a bit conservative when it comes to setting an example for kids or teaching them appropriateness. Although at this point they don't really take my input very well. They've all become so very strong willed and independent. Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.
I am not sure either, but I liked the article!
I will upvote the post ... which is not to agree with it. I will not even bother addressing the validity of an N=43 study. I would ask if the communication skills identified as such really do represent the ability to better communicate. Some people are simply turned off by vulgarity...even if it is creative vulgarity. If that happens the “message” is lost.
And the ability to rhyme off bad words might itself be a marker of creativity ...rather than an indicating a propensity to use those same bad words. Interesting but it is not clear to me that this was a well-thought- out investigation.