I think swearing is good if not overused.

I’ve heard studies show that people who swear are trusted more, something about them coming across more open and genuine.

I swore for emphasis in a job interview and got the job! It was definitely a risk but they received the message I was trying to convey so it worked.

Nah, I love cursing. I love a good, rancid obscenity. I’m perfectly capable of expressing myself without swearing, but I think it makes life so much more fun.

I do try to be aware of my audience. I live in Utah where the Mormons continuously find new and exciting ways to swear without angering sky-daddy. “Oh my heck” is a great example, because “gosh” is potentially a nono outer-darkness word.

I don’t live to offend—I’m not an edge lord. I want to be inclusive of the people around me, so if I know that the person I’m speaking to doesn’t appreciate swearing then I’ll avoid it. Swears may slip out if the conversation is sufficiently casual, but I’ll just apologize and we’ll move on like adults.

It’s not a binary. You can swear in some contexts and not in others, provided you’re able to maintain some degree of mindfulness. That may not be possible if being around your family is like being captured in the Trauma Nexus.

Now that I’ve gone all this time without swearing, let me share my favorite obscenity. My partner once described a really horrible person (someone who committed physical and sexual abuse) as a shit-filled cunt, and god damn if that isn’t just breathtaking. Truly a beauty to behold, she’s such an artist with words.

I don’t exactly talk like a sailor but I don’t censor myself either. I think swearing is much less of a big deal in my culture than it seems to be in conservative America. For example, bleeped-out words on TV or radio are not a thing here. I have not and will never use any “replacement words”, those just seem forced and silly to me.

Forking shirtballs, The Good Place has the best replacement words.

Fuck, which becomes Fork.
Shit, which becomes Shirt.
Bitch, which becomes Bench.
Ass, which becomes Ash.
Dick, which becomes Deck.
Cock, which becomes Cork.

Fuck no! I always found it funny how communities find specific words offensive and look down upon people that use them. Context is important, of course, but the vast majority of cases I witness people swearing are non malicious in nature. (Don’t get me wrong, there are absolutely words/phrases I will never say; again, context is key here)

Coming up with alternative words for the same intent is super silly to me, too. The individual makes it very clear they are aware of the “rules” and are making an asserted attempt to sidestep them. Why bother with all that effort and not simply use the intended word instead?

Fuck no. Studies have found a positive correlation between swearing and being more honest.

I went from never swearing as a Protestant to swearing sometimes too much now. I need to simmer down but sometimes it makes a point!

No fucken way cunt!

I don’t understand why such minced oaths are socially acceptable among people who don’t want to swear for religious reasons. Do they really not realize that they’re thinking “fuck” and effectively saying “fuck”?!

And what about the Catholics who take the position that a sin in thought is just as evil as a sin in deed?

Either say “fuck” or stop even thinking “fuck”. Anything in between is disingenuous bullshit.

To answer your question, no. I try to comply with folks who don’t want me to swear around their kids, but I volunteer to do that as a courtesy and can’t be coerced into it except by real force, such as threatening my physical safety or livelihood.

I pump the brakes with the swearing if I’m around kids, complete strangers, or people I know really take offense to it, i’m honestly not trying to be rude on purpose.

But other than that, no. I swear a lot and have no intention to lessen that. It’s an excellent coping mechanism for stress and it doesn’t hurt anybody or, in fact, anything.

Replacing it with things like “what the cluck” would only add to the anger I feel in the moment because I think that’s horribly cringe.

My favourite is to exclaim “Shut the front door!” in conversation.

I’m trying to swear less. Or rather, to swear only where a swear is warranted.

My Dad has a habit of interjecting constant cuss words into everything he says,ike “I was at the fucking supermarket right and then I’m just trying to find a fucking tin of beans…” and it’s just so unnecessary, to the point where the swears mean nothing because they are just peppered everywhere. I have to keep.reminding him, “Dad, please tone it down a little”

And that’s an easy habit to get into but its exactly what I don’t want to be doing - swearing just as punctuation.

If a situation calls for a swear then I will swear quite happily, “Ouch, my fucking toe!!” and I’ll use the proper word. There’s no need to find childish swear-alternatives.

But I don’t want to sound like I can’t even stop it.

I like doing old prospector-y cursing for minor inconveniences. I work at a hospital, so I probably shouldn’t curse openly infront of the unwashed terbuculars.

consarn it
dagnabbit

My final form is Grandpa Lou Rugrats.

No, it would do my mother tongue a disservice! There are so many flowery and imaginative ways to express emotions using swearwords in Polish…