In one my regular “shower moments”, as I swore about something, it reminded me that I find it quite ugly to swear yet I have done so regularly for most of the last 34 years! I am not going to worry about why I did it. I still swear but much less than before and increasingly I feel uncomfortable with doing so.
Strangely enough, it is not my own swearing that brought this to light for me. It was living in a country where I don’t hear my own language most of the time (except on cable TV of course) and when I do it rarely includes profanity, so when I hear tourists swearing so much, sometimes several words in a single sentence, it sticks out like a sore thumb.
Swear words are intentionally ugly, designed to shock, yet they have become part of everyday language in many languages, including at least two of the main three global languages, Spanish and English (both of which I speak). I noticed that six years ago when I did a particularly demanding and intensive personal development course for over 6 months: we were required to agree to give up swearing for the period as part of our commitment. I can honestly say I am delighted I did that. I found it refreshing, inculcating a sense of pride in myself and my use of language that had me say something like “this meal is absolutely delicious” rather than something ugly like “this food is f.....g lovely” - actually, the latter is not my style at all, more Cockney than Maitland but you can see what I mean. I found myself at first searching for suitable words to describe my sentiments, words of a much broader and descriptive nature than repeating just a handful of expletives. By the end of the course my use of language had improved significantly and the power of my words with it.
The other thing to appreciate about swearing is that because its roots are in aggression, the words carry negative energy. Anyone used to reading my blog will know that in the final analysis, everything comes down to energy, positive or negative, and if one views this the use of this energy as creating a sort of bank balance of energy, then swear words build up a negative balance over time. Sure, it depends on where and how one uses it - when used directly to attack someone, that is far worse, but virtually all use of foul language carries a negative charge.
So, I want to watch myself more carefully, not because I “should” but because I like good energy and find the taste of bad words increasingly bitter to the tongue, especially when indiscriminately used in public without a care in the world for the ears it falls upon. Those ears suffer from the negative energy, whether they themselves swear or not. So, I swear but I wish to end it, to empower my self and enhance my self respect and keep the energy positive and high. What others do is up to them.
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