— February
3
is World Anti-Profanity Day. Why does every language have a set of words that are considered obscene and inappropriate? It turns out that people arbitrarily assign some words with a negative emotional connotation?
— One of the main versions says that in ancient times, when people knew practically nothing about the causes and essence of natural phenomena, to overcome the fear of them, rituals were carried out, where special spells were used to scare away evil spirits, call on rain, etc. So taboo vocabulary appeared that could not be used in everyday speech. Over time, the meaning of the ban was forgotten and such words turned into obscene vocabulary.
There are also surrogate words for swear words, which also accurately and expressively express a person’s emotional state, but are not so taboo. For example, the word “damn” became such a word, which is not considered swearing, although it performs similar functions. Such words are born in the context of a specific language, from its adverbs, forms of pronunciation, features with which strong emotions have been expressed since ancient times in this language.
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Why did the need arise for scolding? Why and how does the habit of swearing form? What are the psychological mechanisms here?
- In this case, it is most appropriate to talk about children, because it is in childhood and adolescence that one usually begins to get used to swear words. Adults already have experience, they have already encountered it and decided whether to use it or not in their speech.
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As a rule, swear words are very short, succinct, pronounced sharply, and they are always emotionally charged. It’s even difficult to pronounce such words neutrally, without emotional overtones. Due to this, obscene vocabulary is very easily perceived; its assimilation can occur even at an unconscious level. In addition, this can really be convenient in some situations when an entire phrase or long terms can be easily replaced by one short word. Normal vocabulary requires formulations and phrase construction. And then the man simply swore and everyone understood him.
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Why is the boundary between normative and obscene vocabulary blurred, that is, often people do not swear, but speak to them using all methods of word formation? Isn't it possible that swearing is already losing its original meaning and role?
— In the modern world, swearing really loses its original meaning. We already accept obscene language more calmly. People who actively use it in their speech hardly irritate anyone, rather they even amuse them. Thus, cultural norms are gradually modified, and swearing becomes more and more commonplace. The habit of speaking in obscene language is largely due to poverty of speech, when a person does not know how to properly, clearly and succinctly express his emotions in normal Russian. This is simply an inability to verbally express one’s experiences.
For example, after swearing, a person wants to demonstrate that he is confident in himself - this occurs not only among teenagers, but also among adults. And sometimes swearing helps to express anger, disappointment - as they say, to ease the soul.
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There is an opinion that in some situations swearing can even be beneficial, for example, facilitating faster recovery from injuries, but this effect only works in men’s teams. Has this hypothesis been proven?
— This hypothesis was put forward a long time ago. This kind of assumption was made by various scientists: biologists, chemists, doctors - not only psychologists. Indeed, scientists were able to obtain empirical data that confirmed the truth of such theories. The only thing is that you need to separate the short-term and long-term effects of swearing. If a person is in pain, scared, and curses, thus relieving emotional stress, then he can really recover faster or mobilize to survive in an extreme situation. Because for a moment, for example, he stopped feeling pain or fear. But if you swear constantly, in everyday life, then it will definitely not bring any benefit - rather harm.
— Still, the overwhelming majority of people understand perfectly well in which social situations swearing is appropriate and in which it is unacceptable. For example, no one will swear when speaking at a conference or other formal setting. What does the inability to assess the situation indicate?
— Historically, swearing was prohibited in all societies; Abrahamic religions classify foul language as a sin. Secular authorities also do not approve of the use of such language: for example, according to Russian laws, obscene language in a public place is punishable by an administrative fine. Considering the negative attitude in society towards swearing, people have long tried not to express themselves rudely in public. In this sense, the ability of individuals and society as a whole to clearly discern in which contexts abusive speech is inappropriate is a moral marker. If such an ability is lost, this may also indicate a erosion of moral guidelines.
In addition, the admissibility of using swear words in speech is strongly linked to the “friend or foe” boundaries. Even a very intelligent person can sometimes relax and express himself in unprintable words in the company of friends, but, of course, he will never do this where the level of communication is completely different.
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As for the ability to self-control, thanks to which we never confuse these contexts and do not allow ourselves to swear, for example, at an official event, this, of course, is part of speech culture. And from a psychological point of view, emotional-volitional regulation is responsible for this. By the way, there are diseases in which a person cannot control his speech, for example Tourette's syndrome. Such people have reduced volitional qualities, so they cannot make a volitional effort to restrain obscene speech. So swearing in a clearly inappropriate environment is one of the clearest symptoms of this syndrome.
— Children, especially schoolchildren, also use swear words. How can this be countered, especially if swearing is actively used by the child’s peers at school?
“You can only resist with your own example, surrounding the child with cultural speech. If the family has a high level of culture, then the child will be largely protected from negative influences. However, even in this case, at some stages, children may still resort to abusive language, since they often perceive it as a challenge, a manifestation of freedom and adulthood. Among teenagers, swearing is also a marker of “friend or foe” - if a teenager tries not to swear, he risks becoming a black sheep, a “nerd.” But if a child has developed a wide vocabulary since childhood and has the skills to express thoughts competently, then he will most likely go through this stage without any special consequences and then return to normal speech.
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We must take this calmly. For example, in my practice there was a case when a new student, an 11th grader, came to the school where I worked, who swore like a shoemaker while sitting at the last desk. I simply asked him to say the same thing in Russian literary language. There was a moment's pause while he figured out how to do it, but in the end he did it. By and large, you need to try to hear the emotion that the teenager puts into such words, and try to help him experience this feeling.
Well, if a swear word is uttered by a child, for example a three-year-old child, then you just need to calmly explain to him that this word should not be used.
— How can an adult get rid of the habit of using swear words if he wants to clean up his speech?
- Only regular training will help. You need to try to record your desire to swear and stop yourself at this moment. If a person feels that a swear word is about to roll off his tongue again, he should try to replace it with a normal expression. This is similar to working with parasitic words that also clog up speech, and requires time and perseverance.