Why Do People Swear?
“Why do people swear?” Swearing can either mean someone taking an oath or someone using an offensive language against somebody, such as cursing.
Swearing is almost a constant universal in everyone’s life. It is a way of speaking that some people use to convey their pent up feelings of rage, annoyance, and frustration. People swear when they want to hurt somebody else’s feelings or want to get a reaction. Some people swear or take an oath when they utter promises to their lovers. Or people simply swear because they think it is smart or funny.
However, let’s tackle the question “Why do people swear?” in the context of someone making an oath. Swearing can serve as a declaration of one’s promise or honesty. Court witnesses are asked to swear before God upon giving their testimonies. A newlywed couple swears to love each other for better or for worse. Sometimes, swearing is used to test the honesty of a person. Take for instance, an irrationally jealous husband, who is suspecting his guy neighbor to have an affair with his wife, would most likely challenge the man to say “I swear on my father’s grave that I am not having an affair with your wife!” Or a sturdy, muscular guy to say, “I swear to God I am not taking any steroids.”
On the other hand, when asked “Why do people swear?” others would say that people swear in order to express their anger, irritation or frustration. It is appalling that even kids now know how to swear when they are distraught or angry. Some kids swear just to show off, or they just want attention. Some of these kids may have learned to use these words because they hear their family members swearing, and they haven’t really realized that using swear words is not okay. Kids just don’t know that swearing is offensive and upsetting to others.
Why do people swear when they know they will offend somebody else’s feelings? Are there ways to get rid of swearing? Fortunately, there are ways to refrain from swearing. Aside from self control, start getting creative. When you’re in an angry mode or on the verge of swearing, try to make use of other words instead of using the swear words. Take for instance; instead of saying “Goddammit!” you can just say “Oh, sheep!”, “Silly sausage”, or “Heck and double heck!” Most often, the words turn out to be funny and you’ll end up laughing instead of seething. And the most encouraging part is that you don’t offend anyone!
