My earliest memories of making faces at the swear words (like sala) goes back to my nursery days. I was programmed by the elders in the home to give a sullen look whenever someone used 'sala' while talking. My oh my! I was too good at spotting this 4 lettered word. With each passing years my vocabulary multiplied with razor-sharp and accurate insults in Nepali, Malayalam, Hindi and of course the other tongue (read English).
The small section of population that consists of people like me who have lived in hostel all their life can vouch that the first thing they learnt in any new language was how to swear at others in their language! In Rome- do as Romans do! Haah!
I was an uncommon swearer, one who used it when very angry. It did earn me respect/fear whichever from the crowd around. Swearing helps...F***! Even a study has confirmed it.
Excerpts from the 'study'
"Swearing has been around for centuries and is an almost universal human linguistic phenomenon," said Richard Stephens of Keele University in England and one of the authors of the new study. "It taps into emotional brain centers and appears to arise in the right brain, whereas most language production occurs in the left cerebral hemisphere of the brain." blah..blah..blah!
And this is how they did it
The researchers enlisted 64 undergraduate volunteers and had them submerge their hand in a tub of ice water for as long as possible while repeating a swear word of their choice. The experiment was then repeated with the volunteer repeating a more common word that they would use to describe a table. Contrary to what the researcher expected, the volunteers kept their hands submerged longer while repeating the swear word. The researchers think that the increase in pain tolerance occurs because swearing triggers the body's natural "fight-or-flight" response. Stephens and his colleagues suggest that swearing may increase aggression (seen in accelerated heart rates), which downplays weakness to appear stronger or more macho.
I don't know about the tolerance thing that the Monsieur above is talking about, but swearing is part of vocabulary in Noida (Uttar Pradesh, India). While I was living there, it came a rude shock to hear MC, BC (expletives aimed at kins) after every sentence, which was very different to the civilised (at least on-the-face) Keraliites. Its a rare thing to hear a Malayalee swear. Woah! I even came across a 12-year-old kid who was spewing expletives in random. That little boy kept saying F*** after every 3 words ... I really felt sorry for his parents. Sadly, there are many of such kind... and all kids. Out here, the grown-ups are really well-mannered and polite but its mostly the teens who are the real trouble-makers.
Personally, I believe that swearing may give you an ego-boost, as we always get a high doing things that are not acceptable by society (guilt always makes a late entry). But then ain't it true that the gems coming from your mouth define your character.
There is never a black or a white. There is nothing like a sin or a good deed. Its just a human way of perception my friend! Or an imbalance of feel good/feel bad hormones. Your call.
Let me know your views on 'swearing'.
Cheers
The small section of population that consists of people like me who have lived in hostel all their life can vouch that the first thing they learnt in any new language was how to swear at others in their language! In Rome- do as Romans do! Haah!
I was an uncommon swearer, one who used it when very angry. It did earn me respect/fear whichever from the crowd around. Swearing helps...F***! Even a study has confirmed it.
Excerpts from the 'study'
"Swearing has been around for centuries and is an almost universal human linguistic phenomenon," said Richard Stephens of Keele University in England and one of the authors of the new study. "It taps into emotional brain centers and appears to arise in the right brain, whereas most language production occurs in the left cerebral hemisphere of the brain." blah..blah..blah!
And this is how they did it
The researchers enlisted 64 undergraduate volunteers and had them submerge their hand in a tub of ice water for as long as possible while repeating a swear word of their choice. The experiment was then repeated with the volunteer repeating a more common word that they would use to describe a table. Contrary to what the researcher expected, the volunteers kept their hands submerged longer while repeating the swear word. The researchers think that the increase in pain tolerance occurs because swearing triggers the body's natural "fight-or-flight" response. Stephens and his colleagues suggest that swearing may increase aggression (seen in accelerated heart rates), which downplays weakness to appear stronger or more macho.
I don't know about the tolerance thing that the Monsieur above is talking about, but swearing is part of vocabulary in Noida (Uttar Pradesh, India). While I was living there, it came a rude shock to hear MC, BC (expletives aimed at kins) after every sentence, which was very different to the civilised (at least on-the-face) Keraliites. Its a rare thing to hear a Malayalee swear. Woah! I even came across a 12-year-old kid who was spewing expletives in random. That little boy kept saying F*** after every 3 words ... I really felt sorry for his parents. Sadly, there are many of such kind... and all kids. Out here, the grown-ups are really well-mannered and polite but its mostly the teens who are the real trouble-makers.
Personally, I believe that swearing may give you an ego-boost, as we always get a high doing things that are not acceptable by society (guilt always makes a late entry). But then ain't it true that the gems coming from your mouth define your character.
There is never a black or a white. There is nothing like a sin or a good deed. Its just a human way of perception my friend! Or an imbalance of feel good/feel bad hormones. Your call.
Let me know your views on 'swearing'.
Cheers
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