“There is no influence like the influence of habit.”- Gilbert Parker

My thought is that profanity has five salient influencers in modern living.  These influencers delineate many of the current issues that permeate our current use of language.  Our verbalized expressions are connected to what we need in our life at any given moment in time.

Offensive Language   

Being offensive with language may be quite simple.  When we direct these words toward others, we intend to offend.  Many profane expletives are meant to offend the listener. 

These words are like verbal weapons that have the intention to hurt, humiliate, or provoke.  The sender wants to do damage to the receiver, or inspire a reaction.  There is no attempt to soften the blow.  Blatant words are implemented for a blatant intent.

“Over my lifetime, heavy usage has woefully eroded profanity's power.” - Lionel Shriver

A Need for Power

Profanity can also be an expression of our need for power.  We are not holding back our thoughts and feelings.  We are exhibiting what is labelled “strong language” by some. 

Better words may be available to the sender, however, there appears to be a need to express with authority, which some people believe profanity provides.  We see this quite often in literature, movies and theatre where profanity is utilized to demonstrate one’s powerful presence.

To Shock

Profane language is also used to shock.  These loaded words can come from the most unlikely sources.  Young children will swear to shock their parents. 

Quiet, introverted individuals will sometimes assert themselves by inserting an F-bomb.  The shock approach is about getting more attention than usual.  Throwing out a deluge of profanity in a crowd will bring plenty of attention, desired or not.

“It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere.” - Voltaire

Freedom

To express oneself in a totally uninhibited fashion demonstrates one’s sense of freedom.  No holds barred so to speak.  When young people start using profanity it is often a new found freedom. 

They may temporarily forget the rest of the words in the dictionary other than the four-letter variety.  They are sending a message that they are now an adult and that they are confident and not conforming.

A Sense of Belonging

A common language binds more than nationalities.  Common language influences who we are most likely to befriend.  Likeminded people feel a greater sense of belonging when they surround themselves with those who use the same language. 

People who use profanity tend to hang out with others that use profanity.  This is part of a ritual of ‘you are like me’.  A sense of belonging comes from the camaraderie of a common language.  Words become sport, especially in their humour.

Top Billing for Swearing

Martin Scorsese obviously believes in the significance of swearing in his movies.  Two of the top three movies with the most swear words are directed by Scorsese. 

The Wolf of Wall Street had 715 swear words, rated number one, and Casino had 606, rated number three.  Both movies tend to corroborate that swearing is about all five of the reasons cited.  The characters are being offensive by intention, demonstrating their power, utilizing shock value, exhibiting freedom, and creating a sense of belonging.

The 120 Days of Sodom written by the Marquis de Sade is possibly the most offensively profane book ever written.  The themes of nihilism and atheism are forefront but the book also purports that a person is only on Earth for a short time, therefore there is no heaven or hell to punish an evil life, and that karma and its consequences do not act on the powerful.  The reference to profanity that is associated with the powerful is ever present.

Counterpoints

Language that intends to offend may work in the short term.  However, aggressive language does have the potential to end up in disaster.  Offend the wrong person and offensive words may end in violence.  Aggression is sometimes met with aggression.  Sensitive people may react with insensitivity.

Language that purportedly supports power, may actually be rather weak.  Strong words may be a misnomer.  Usually those who have a better vocabulary demonstrate a much higher level of descriptive ability than those restricted to four letters.  The power of words is more in their descriptive nature rather than their bluntness.

Surely there must be better ways than using shocking language to attract someone’s attention.  Swearing to attract attention may attract the wrong type of attention.  You might be getting attention that does not win favour but rather disrespect.

There is a lot of freedom in unlimited expression.  Profanity may give someone a sense of this freedom initially. 

However, this freedom is also limited due to the small sample size of swear words.  There may be more freedom in using all the words available instead of a selected few.

A sense of belonging that is derived from only likeminded people is devoid of diversity.  Our completeness is complimented by our exposure to a large variety of different types of people and places.  Belonging deprived of diversity will suffer potential.

My earliest influencer concerning my use of profanity came from a quote that I remember reading at the age of seven.  It read:

“Profanity is a feeble attempt of a weak mind to express itself forcefully.” 

This quote was not in a church but rather in a library.  I have never used profanity since that day.  I prefer to get my power, freedom and sense of belonging in other ways.  This may not be everyone’s choice or belief, and that is okay.  But this is my choice.