8 Reasons Why You Need to Stop Swearing! | Manners & Etiquette

8 Reasons Why You Need to Stop Swearing – Cursing, swearing, and profanity are nothing new to most. But did you know that it is very unhealthy? This is why we need to stop cursing! Nowadays, profanity is everywhere! It is so normalized that it’s almost impossible to go a day without hearing someone casually throw around swear words. What used to be frowned upon, is now easily said, sometimes even in front of children! Mainstream TV is even lessening the censoring of some words. A few years ago, the word b*tch was an offensive thing to say to a woman, now some sisters call each other that word lovingly!

Swearing is NEVER polite and is not done by elegant sisters. If they ever do swear, you know that they are actually mad! Islam (or any religion for that matter), does not allow swearing. Have you ever asked yourself: “Why should I stop cursing?” and “How do I stop cursing and swearing?” The following 8 reasons will help you understand why you should stop swearing. In my other blog, I’ll share tips on how you can actually stop swearing! Profanity is not elegant, nor classy and that goes for women and men, so let us work on bettering ourselves by understanding why profanity is so bad for us.

Why you should stop cursing

Reason 1: Swearing used to have legitimate use! 

When we think of swearing, we think of outbursts of either passion or anger, sometimes of fear and distaste. Cursing adds that extra emotional force into a statement, in the right context of course. Men used to curse more because these explosions of emotions like anger and frustration are seen as typically male. However, in this new age where we are desensitized to cursing, women and men curse almost the same amount. Fact is, cursing used to have a legitimate use. When someone swore, you knew it was serious because that was the requirement to curse!

Because of the normalization of cursing and the overexposure to swearwords online, in real life and on TV, the impact of swearwords lessens. The more we heard the word “B*tch” thrown around, the less it bothered women, and the more we started playfully calling our sisters that word! Rappers use this word as an insult and now we call each other that without thinking anything of it. At the same time, normal speech becomes even less effective in conveying what we want to say. Because saying: I’m excited! is not as happy as saying “I am *^%$$# excited!”  and that’s a problem in and of itself.

Reason 2: Cursing is rude and degrading

The reason cursing is frowned upon is simply that it is rude and degrading! It’s meant to shock the other person and can be compared to screaming in someone’s face (at least it used too) The things said when someone cusses are never sweet sounding. People are supposed to feel comfortable and as an elegant classy person, you want to make them feel comfortable and profanity is the opposite because it brings discomfort to the other person.

Cursing is vulgar and the use of profanity actually undermines mutual respect. Imagine going to a job interview and you overhear your maybe future boss swearing at an employee. What does that say about him and that work environment? It means that he and the environment, lack respect for others, has no self-control and that there is a lack of class and politeness. Now is that something you want to be linked to?

Reason 3: Swearing leads to deranged behavior

You might think: “We are what we do, not what we say!” and in a way, I kind of agree. We decide who we are and what we do, that’s true. But tell me, isn’t it easier to do something bad when you are desensitized to it? Let’s think of extremes. Soldiers who are sent to war know that they will probably have to kill people. At first, they may hate it, we are humans after all and the thought of having to hurt others doesn’t come as naturally as evolution may make you believe. But as they do it more, and as they see it happen around them, it becomes normal to them.

This horrific act, of taking someone’s life (the worst thing any human can do) becomes normal because they are desensitized to it. If you use vulgarity, profanity, dirty words, whatever you want to call it, you are desensitizing yourself to the things you are saying. Men who call women all sorts of degrading names easily, will want to call their wives those things when they make them mad. Using that kind of language clears the way to appalling thoughts and awful behavior!

Reason 4: Cursing makes you sound dumb

It’s called foul language for a reason. Cursing spreads verbal and mental poverty because we are using rude words instead of acquiring a bigger vocabulary to share our thought and opinions with others. There are a hundred other words to describe feeling happy and leave the curses out of it. You’ll sound a lot smarter saying “I’m truly ecstatic about …” instead of saying “I’m f*cking happy about…”. Class and elegance are about politeness and sophistication.

Reason 5: Swearing sets a bad example

Imagine you are blessed with a cute little kid. One day you go to pick them up from school and you hear them cursing like a sailor! “%$#^*#@” is thrown around and you are appalled at what your kid is saying! Where did they learn this? How do they even know what that means? And then you remember that your kid sits in the car with you while you are road raging, that the kid joins their father when he is putting together an IKEA closet, and that your kid hears you speak rudely to your girlfriends on the phone, even if it is in a loving way.

YOU are the reason your kid is cursing! Yes, TV and online channels also influence us, that is true. But when you grow up in a house where cursing is not allowed, where your parents don’t curse and where you get a talking to when you do curse, you actually learn that cursing is a serious and foul thing to do. When you don’t curse and when you set the right example, you teach your kids that cursing is bad. So when you curse, you are a bad example. That is final!

Reason 6: Cursing is re-wiring your brain

What we do day in and day out influences our behavior, we’ve established that. According to neuroscientists, each time we curse it creates neurological links in our brains and reinforces us to curse every time something happens. You are basically rewiring your brain and your associations. At this point, everyone knows about Pavlov’s experiment, where he managed to link the sound of a bell, to the dogs getting their food. So when the dogs heard the bell ringing, they would come running expecting food.

You are linking behaviors, moments, and other things situations to cursing. If you see a red light (your bell), you can express your annoyance by sighing, or cursing. Once you have decided on cursing once, your brain has linked this behaviour to this attribute. Meaning that you will now sooner curse than let out a sigh when you see a red light.

Reason 7: Swearing is cheap & tasteless 

An elegant, classy person does not swear. If they do swear, it is in the moment and an actual reaction to something horrific. Classy, elegant people do not carelessly throw around swear words because it is tasteless, cheap and it degrades their worth. Sophisticated people speak elegantly and politely and want others to feel comfortable when they are around them. The second you open your mouth and you let a string of curses fall out of it, the level of respect people have for you instantly drops. You might be a wonderful, valuable person but when you swear you disrespect yourself. Disrespecting yourself stems from not knowing your own value. This means you need to find your value!

Reason 8: Cursing is a sin

The Prophet Muhammed said (related by At-Tirmidhi & Al- Bukhari and Muslim):

“The true believer is not a slanderer, nor does he curse others, and nor is he immoral or shameless.” & He who believes in Allah and the Last Day let him speak good or remain silent”.

Allah Almighty says in the Quran:

“Oh you who have believed, let not a people ridicule (another) people; perhaps they may be better than them; nor let women ridicule (other) women; perhaps they may be better than them. And do not insult one another and do not call each other by (offensive) nicknames. Wretched is the name of disobedience after (one’s) faith. And whoever does not repent – then it is those who are the wrongdoers.” (Quran 49:11)

These verses and statements speak for themselves. Cursing is a sin and not only according to Islam but also according to Christianity and Judaism. But even if you are not religious you’ll agree that insulting each other and ridiculing each other is not something a good person would do. Nowadays, women call each other bitch in a loving way. We have become desensitized to a word that men threw at us to insult us! Some claim this is ‘taking back the power’. I wholeheartedly disagree.

Your Classy Muslim Sister helps you find your value

I’m curious about your opinion on this topic. I used to be a big swearer myself because I thought I sounded cool, which in hindsight makes me feel a little embarrassed. I was rude and careless with my words, but thankfully I’ve outgrown this behavior. Maybe this has helped you to see the influence of cursing and why you should think about stopping.

Do you have more reasons why cursing and swearing are bad for you? Please share! Do you want to learn more about Elegance? I write about Elegance, Self Love, Modesty, and more! Do you want to help the other Muslim sisters in your life too? Share my blog with them and follow me on Social Media! 

Kisses,

Your Classy Muslim Sister