Why We Swear

Swear words can shock, offend, and entertain; They can even help us withstand pain. Why are these  (usually four-letter) utterances so powerful?

All languages have taboo topics usually clustering around themes like religion, defecation, and sex. And words that colloquially refer to those topics become swearwords. When we swear in a context in which we can assume those around us would prefer we didn’t, that choice is a sign of our disrespect. It’s somehow less offensive to replace a letter with an asterisk, despite the fact that everyone still knows what it means.

But swearing, writes author Rebecca Roache, a senior lecturer in philosophy at Royal Holloway, University of London, “even without censorship or euphemism, can also be affectionately benign. To be understood this way, a listener needs to trust that the speaker is not verbally attacking but letting his or her guard down and signaling that the setting is informal and the relationship is friendly. Swearing in these contexts can even foster intimacy between recent acquaintances. Between people who already trust each other, it’s an excellent way to communicate affection.

What about at work? In one study, researchers recorded conversations between employees of a soap factory and found that good-humored swearing was common between workers who knew each other well but absent between workers who were not part of the same friend group. At the office, a historically formal environment that has been trending toward informality, it’s possible to hear the occasional expletive in a meeting or read one in a group chat — more common in some industries than in others. “But before you partake, it’s worth remembering swearing’s tendency to vary in offensiveness over time and with context” says Roache.

In what context, and with whom, might you let loose a swear? To join the conversation, click "comments" on above.

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