- Ever wondered how humankind reacts to a certain challenging situation and/or during varied emotional upheavals in the form of agitation, aggression, depression, frustration, etc.? The most common outburst during such times is to indulge in cursing/swearing. Simple. Humanity, since time immemorial, has wittingly or unwittingly shown affinity towards indulging in cursing to vent out pent-up feelings during challenging occasions. Of course, there are different ways available to us to spew emotional outbursts depending on the situation. What cursing does,though, is varied as well as diverse to everyone’s capacity to handle emotional upheavals. Nonetheless, there is no denying the fact that cursing acts as a pressure release point for many.
PC: Mental Floss
- Further, how cursing has become a way of life during daily conversation can be gauged by keenly observing people from certain northern Indian states. Even a friendly exchange of pleasantries between two or more friends/acquaintances is embellished with curse words. Why only in northern states? It can be witnessed across the country as well. Let’s admit we all sometimes indulge willingly and with gay abandon. Spewing expletives is a part of our existence, you see. So much so that cursing can make one feel more confident and less stressed. But the key point to note here is that we should be smart about when to use it. As family and friends crowd together in the festive season, high spirits tend to nudge gatherings towards high swearing.
PC: UNC Greensboro
- Thankfully, the eldest of the adults in the gathering would dutifully put the zip on cursing, particularly for the sake of the young ones. But ultimately, it’s a doomed effort. Between school and street, movies and music, over the years, most people grew up getting familiar with phrases filled with profanities. And the ways they do are of great interest to scientists, sociologists, and historians. Because it reveals a lot about how our brain and society work. A new study in American Psychologist, for example, finds state inhibition in uttering curse words. Meaning it lowers hesitation and self-doubt, thus improving the ability to perform physical tasks, like chair push-ups. Yes, all swearing is rooted in some taboo. Breaking it can create bonding.
PC: Deccan Chronicle
- Mind you, as much in a sterile operating theatre as a raucous factory floor. Taboos vary from place to place. For the uninitiated, in Japan, there’s almost no excretory taboo, so ‘shit’ is not a cuss word. Interestingly, the poop emoji is considered cute, and sweets shaped like it are good luck tokens. Taboos also change over time. Religious blasphemy declined in the West as authority became secularized – Jesus Christ – stopped being shocking. Today’s popular cusswords tell us that sex remains Taboo No. 1. Most sexual swearing is sexist because power, honour, and shame are still structured by patriarchy. But while swearing privately may give us the confidence to ask someone for a date, doing it on the date itself is risky. Indulge carefully.
