The Power of Swearing
Even though I try to polish the way I write, I do believe in the power of swearing, and I am strongly opposed to anyone who condemns it on sight.
Everything in life is about energy and intention. It is not so much of relevance what is being said, or what is happening - to a degree - as much as the energy that is placed behind these things. It is a matter of meaning rather than the word, or the labeling.
Take for instance the American comedian Louis CK.
As you watch any of his performances, he will swear profusely as he goes through his material. But is he a bad natured person? Is he being negative?
No.
Actually, he’s exploring strong emotions commonly felt by humans, that often go untold and dismissed, and often from a more sensitive and informed perspective than many. Embedded in his speech, swearing is a powerful tool that discourages self-dishonesty and dissolves prejudice.
The thought he sparks in others is that he has the guts to say what goes in his mind. So in this sense he’s being highly constructive, by showing things we may be missing, and by being truthful in the way he speaks. I consider his nature extremely sensitive and his standpoint extremely positive.
You may contest that this example is a comedy act, rather than actual conversations and situations in real life. But the fact that you can face swearing without automatically considering it disrespect, rudeness, or lack of education, is telling that it’s not about the words themselves. It’s how you use them, and your intent behind them.
I’m not advocating that you swear all the time, for any reason. Words are powerful and can be wrongly-interpreted. It’s exclusively your responsibility to mind what you say to others.
Not doing so, it’s like you waltzing into a friend’s house for the first time, and you go raid his fridge or sleep in his bed without asking. There’s a level of respect and etiquette in interpersonal interaction that must be kept, not because I said so, but for your own good. It’s not what is right or wrong - it’s about respecting the other person.
But swearing has a power that you find nowhere else in language. And as with anything powerful, it must be handled with care — but it’s not to be cast out and dismissed as purely negative. It’s to be used in the right situation, to transmit the right message.
There is a way to be assertive yet loving, and there’s a way to be measured and polite yet soft and meaningless.
And then you can be both aggressive and negative, of course. But my point being that an apparently rough external may not automatically be negative.
If you are offended when you hear anyone swearing, please consider that the person may be more wise than you think, and you may be missing some of the wisdom. There’s a saying that goes like this: people who curse are more honest than those who don’t. I fully agree.
Every language has its cursing. This alone should be a tell-tale sign that this energy is relevant in some way. It is not only cultural, but a manifestation of energy. The swear word has a unique way of being loaded with this very strong and intense earth-like energy. It can be used in a negative, low-ish sense - but also to vent out and express strong feelings.
When you hit your thumb with the hammer by mistake, do you go “gee, right now I sure wish I didn't do this” ?
Or do you go “FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFffff$*&!#……..” ?
Swearing is a useful tool to vent. Not doing so when it’s really needed, may keep these strong reactions trapped within.
I’m always very proud of anyone who recognizes true, positively-aligned power and merit with someone that is not afraid of using swearing, or being as assertive as they must, if it’s done in a balanced way. A message with swear words may hold higher energy than something without swearing.
We are humans. We feel things strongly, and we are supposed to. To unconditionally dismiss the expression of such sentiment is to nullify yourself.
Fuck that.
This article was originally posted at heartki.com.
