I used to swear a lot. I decided to not swear at all (except for possibly mild swears), instead replacing most swears with minced oaths.

My family is Christian and I would get yelled at for swearing even if it just slipped out. So far, I don’t swear unless I’m feeling a strong emotion or acting impulsively, but I’ll usually say things like “F/eff” or “fudge” instead of the F-word.

I like to be “creative”, so my go-tos are usually “Go fudge yourself”, or “What the cluck?”

I might say “mother lover” instead of MF

  • Badabinski@kbin.earth
    121·
    16 hours ago

    Nah, I love cursing. I love a good, rancid obscenity. I’m perfectly capable of expressing myself without swearing, but I think it makes life so much more fun.

    I do try to be aware of my audience. I live in Utah where the Mormons continuously find new and exciting ways to swear without angering sky-daddy. “Oh my heck” is a great example, because “gosh” is potentially a nono outer-darkness word.

    I don’t live to offend—I’m not an edge lord. I want to be inclusive of the people around me, so if I know that the person I’m speaking to doesn’t appreciate swearing then I’ll avoid it. Swears may slip out if the conversation is sufficiently casual, but I’ll just apologize and we’ll move on like adults.

    It’s not a binary. You can swear in some contexts and not in others, provided you’re able to maintain some degree of mindfulness. That may not be possible if being around your family is like being captured in the Trauma Nexus.

    Now that I’ve gone all this time without swearing, let me share my favorite obscenity. My partner once described a really horrible person (someone who committed physical and sexual abuse) as a shit-filled cunt, and god damn if that isn’t just breathtaking. Truly a beauty to behold, she’s such an artist with words.