What Your F-Bomb Habit Says About Your Intelligence

[GMDino]

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-22989/what-your-f-bomb-habit-says-about-your-intelligence.html

Quote:Remember when your mom used to tell you that you sounded less intelligent than you were when you cursed?

Well, according to a study recently published in the journal Language Sciences, it might be time to put to rest the long-held belief that a foul mouth means you have a fewer selection of words to choose from. In fact, it found that the more sailor-like your swearing tendencies, the greater your overall language fluency.

In your f****** face, Mom. (Just kidding — you're wonderful.)

For the study, psychologists Kristin Jay and Timothy Jay of Marist College and the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts recruited participants between the ages of 18 and 22, and asked them to do an experiment I'd really like to partake in: Blurt out as many curse words as they could think of in a minute and then follow that with 60 seconds of reciting as many animal names as possible.

Jay and Jay found that people who cursed more — pretty much regardless of gender — also named more animals, leading them to conclude that those with R-rated tongues had larger vocabularies.

"Unfortunately, when it comes to taboo language, it is a common assumption that people who swear frequently are lazy, do not have an adequate vocabulary, lack education or simply cannot control themselves," the researchers wrote. "The overall finding of this set of studies, that taboo fluency is positively correlated with other measures of verbal fluency, undermines the [normal] view of swearing."

But not all swearing is created equal. The study also found that those who curse a lot aren't just smarter; they're actually better at cursing than those with cleaner mouths. They're better at identifying the difference between an "appropriate" curse word (i.e. "shit," "****," ass," etc.) and an "inappropriate" one (i.e., racial slurs).

So, the next time you stub your toe, get pulled over, or just miss your train, feel free to let the f-bombs fly. (A study says it'll probably help ease the pain a little, too.) You might get some stares, but really, who gives a shit?

(h/t The Independent)

[*bfine32*]

So folks that knew more words new the names of more animals.

I wonder how much subsidy this "study" used.

I've been around the world and spent decades in combat arms in the Military; I guarantee you I've heard/know more curse words and seen more animals than the vast majority 18-22 year old that these folks polled.

I suppose a relevant question word be "what constitutes a curse word and who sat the standard"

[BmorePat87]

Given who gets butt hurt over these words here, I don't find this surprising.

[StLucieBengal]

Lol hey if someone wants to think that swearing like a sailor is acceptable behavior in a professional enviornment to show off their "intelligence". Who am I to let anyone know they sound ridiculous.

As for me and my family . We will pass on such language.

[GMDino]

(12-16-2015, 12:38 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Lol hey if someone wants to think that swearing like a sailor is acceptable behavior in a professional enviornment to show off their "intelligence".   Who am I to let anyone know they sound ridiculous.  

As for me and my family .  We will pass on such language.

Yea the F word is like the word "and" in our industry.  We just act like adults when we hear ity.

As for you and your family...you will have no control over your kids one day.  And then we'll see how you feel about it.

[StLucieBengal]

(12-16-2015, 12:42 PM)GMDino Wrote: Yea the F word is like the word "and" in our industry.  We just act like adults when we hear ity.

As for you and your family...you will have no control over your kids one day.  And then we'll see how you feel about it.

Has nothing to do with control at all. We just model a particular behavior and use that as a nice foundation for which they can grow. If one day hey swear like they live at a truck stop then that is on them. There will still not be any swearing in our home however.

[GMDino]

(12-16-2015, 12:55 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Has nothing to do with control at all.  We just model a particular behavior and use that as a nice foundation for which they can grow.   If one day hey swear like they live at a truck stop then that is on them.   There will still not be any swearing in our home however.

You live in a fantasy land.

[StLucieBengal]

(12-16-2015, 01:00 PM)GMDino Wrote: You live in a fantasy land.

Because We do not swear? Or because We don't promote swearing with our kids?

What you call fantasy land we call normal .

[GMDino]

(12-16-2015, 01:02 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Because We do not swear?  Or because We don't promote swearing with our kids?

What you call fantasy land we call normal .

Because of all the things you post about your life and how it will turn out.

[Au165]

(12-16-2015, 12:38 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Lol hey if someone wants to think that swearing like a sailor is acceptable behavior in a professional enviornment to show off their "intelligence". 

It really is acceptable behavior depending on where you are at within the company. I have been in plenty of meetings with CEOs and Presidents of companies and they let it fly. It seems to be more frowned on the lower you are in the company (obviously you can't use it towards someone). It really isn't that big a deal anymore.

In reality though, why is it a "bad" word? The actual definition is to have sex, or ruin something. If I change me screaming "f###!" to "Have sex with me!" or "sexual intercourse!" is it an issue? Maybe a little weird, but people wouldn't freak out. Seems like another issue of an old, outdated, thought process that has never really been logically thought about. The idea of "bad" words or curse words is comical to me.

[Mike M (the other one)]

(12-16-2015, 01:31 PM)Au165 Wrote: It really is acceptable behavior depending on where you are at within the company. I have been in plenty of meetings with CEOs and Presidents of companies and they let it fly. It seems to be more frowned on the lower you are in the company (obviously you can't use it towards someone). It really isn't that big a deal anymore.

In reality though, why is it a "bad" word? The actual definition is to have sex, or ruin something. If I change me screaming "f###!" to "Have sex with me!" or "sexual intercourse!" is it an issue? Maybe a little weird, but people wouldn't freak out. Seems like another issue of an old, outdated, thought process that has never really been logically thought about. The idea of "bad" words or curse words is comical to me.

I can tell you that no one drops the F-bomb on occasion in any of the level of meetings that I go to with in my company. If they did, I would find it to be counter-productive. Dropping the F-bomb repeatedly tends to cause people to stop listening to you. It is also very unprofessional to drop an F-bomb during a meeting. If you do decide to drop one, you are almost guaranteed to offend someone, where as if you do not, your chances of offending someone drops.

[*bfine32*]

(12-16-2015, 01:31 PM)Au165 Wrote: Seems like another issue of an old, outdated, thought process that has never really been logically thought about. The idea of "bad" words or curse words is comical to me.

I choose to refrain from swearing in a professional environment; simply out of respect to those within earshot. If that is "old and outdated" then guilty as charged. I have also shared this "comical' attitude with my children.

[Bengalzona]

I've been known to use a swear word or two in my day. And I still do, in certain situations. It depends upon the circumstance and the 'audience', if you will. For instance, I used the "s**t" word on here yesterday in a post for slight shock value (shocking because I don't think the CoC allows that) and to emphasize a point. I was also writing a bit in vernacular to a particular audience (young men, football fans, etc.) who I thought the statement might reach better.

I also have been known to blurt out an expletive occasionally when frustrated, sick, and or angry. But, being that I generally try to avoid all three of those situations, that is a very rare occurrence. Growing up, my dad would drop the "GD" line about as often as Samuel L. Jackson uses the "F" word. There were six of us kids, and that was his way of venting frustration. I didn't like that very much, but understood the source. Because I grew up around that, the urge to respond in that way is pretty strong. Therefore, I've found replacement phrases over the years, such as "God... Bless America!!!" or "What the....?" (always left unfinished). Sometimes I even say "Dagnabit!".

I never call a person an expletive in anger. A wise friend in school once told me that if I really wanted to let someone know I was angry or disappointed with them, then don't cuss at them. Cussing obfuscates the point you are trying to make. And in a confrontational situation, you really want your point to be as clear and direct as possible.

Likewise, I never cuss in the workplace or around clients or vendors for the same reason. You don't want your meaning to be clouded in business dealings. And business partners, vendors, clients, co-workers, etc. are generally not my friends. I maintain a degree of separation, the need for which has been reinforced repeatedly over the course of 21 years in business.

I generally don't cuss around people I don't know. I'm not sure who I'm talking to or how the message would be received. In my experience, you want to be very clear and to the point if you are speaking to someone you don't know. The degree to which I use expletives varies to the degree of which I know the listener and how they will take the message. In a bar with friends, I can do excellent Samuel L. Jackson or Gunny Sergeant Hartman ("Full Metal Jacket") impersonations. But a person has to have invested the time to get to know me before I share those.

I tend to agree with St. Lucie about modelling behavior for your kids. But, as much as I'd like it that my son would never cuss, I would much rather have him understand the circumstantial reasoning as to why or why not to cuss in a situation.



















And as for this study, that's some f***ed up s**t, mother f***er! I can f***in' name all the mother f***in' animals and I ain't gotta f***in' cuss to do it, b***h! How do you like them apples!

[Bengalzona]

(12-16-2015, 01:31 PM)Au165 Wrote: In reality though, why is it a "bad" word? The actual definition is to have sex, or ruin something. If I change me screaming "f###!" to "Have sex with me!" or "sexual intercourse!" is it an issue? Maybe a little weird, but people wouldn't freak out. Seems like another issue of an old, outdated, thought process that has never really been logically thought about. The idea of "bad" words or curse words is comical to me.

Reminds my of the old George Carlin skit about substituting the "F" word for the word 'kill'.

"Better git down off of yer horse, sheriff. We're fixin' to f*** you now. But we're gonna do it real slow like."

"Mass F***er Still On the Loose: Man F***s Three"

"He made a mistake: He f***ed a cop. Yeah, he's a cop f***er now. Every cop in the state will be lookin' for him!"

"Hey guys. My horse broke his leg. I'm gonna have to f*** him now."

"Shamu: the f***er whale"

[StLucieBengal]

(12-16-2015, 01:31 PM)Au165 Wrote: It really is acceptable behavior depending on where you are at within the company. I have been in plenty of meetings with CEOs and Presidents of companies and they let it fly. It seems to be more frowned on the lower you are in the company (obviously you can't use it towards someone). It really isn't that big a deal anymore.

In reality though, why is it a "bad" word? The actual definition is to have sex, or ruin something. If I change me screaming "f###!" to "Have sex with me!" or "sexual intercourse!" is it an issue? Maybe a little weird, but people wouldn't freak out. Seems like another issue of an old, outdated, thought process that has never really been logically thought about. The idea of "bad" words or curse words is comical to me.

Well that's the difference between us then.... I'm just not as cavalier with my language as you are.... But hey what works for me is what works for me. You have your own way. Good luck. I don't begrudge your choice to speak as you choose.

[Au165]

(12-16-2015, 02:35 PM)bfine32 Wrote: I choose to refrain from swearing in a professional environment; simply out of respect to those within earshot. If that is "old and outdated" then guilty as charged. I have also shared this "comical' attitude with my children.

But what makes it bad? That is what is comical about the whole thing, not that you choose not to use them. The words we have chosen seem arbitrary. If people can't even tell you why they are bad, then it is a matter of doing something because it is the way things have always been done, and I think that is counter productive to the advancement of society.

[Au165]

(12-16-2015, 02:30 PM)Mike M (the other one) Wrote: I can tell you that no one drops the F-bomb on occasion in any of the level of meetings that I go to with in my company. If they did, I would find it to be counter-productive. Dropping the F-bomb repeatedly tends to cause people to stop listening to you. It is also very unprofessional to drop an F-bomb during a meeting. If you do decide to drop one, you are almost guaranteed to offend someone, where as if you do not, your chances of offending someone drops.

We end up in different meetings I guess (every place is different). It is never said at someone, more so out of frustration about a situation, and normally the setting is exclusively high ranking executives.  My father is a president of a different company and I know in talking with him he has been in meetings with his executive team, and with executives of other companies, and it gets used on occasion. These companies range in revenue from $10-$100 million, so maybe as the company gets bigger the environment changes a bit. One of the reasons I like being at a smaller company is because it is a bit less formal.

[GMDino]

(12-16-2015, 03:41 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Well that's the difference between us then.... I'm just not as cavalier with my language as you are.... But hey what works for me is what works for me.   You have your own way.   Good luck.   I don't begrudge your choice to speak as you choose.

You just think it makes people dumber and less "proper".

[Vas Deferens]

(12-16-2015, 03:41 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Well that's the difference between us then.... I'm just not as cavalier with my language as you are.... But hey what works for me is what works for me.   You have your own way.   Good luck.   I don't begrudge your choice to speak as you choose.

I'm fairly certain you have 'begrudged' others choice to use language as they see fit.  Is this a matter of you not knowing what 'begrudge' means, or another instance of you softening a stance you once adamantly held?  I've seen both scenarios play out.

[*PhilHos*]

I'm sadden at what constitutes "studies" these days. Really? Naming as many animals as you can in a short timespan equates to being smarter or that you at least know more words? Or maybe it's just that they have quicker recall. But, no, let's just jump to the most extreme conclusion.