Swearing makes you seem more honest, open to criticism

April 11, 2017

Kyle Guthrie

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     The F-bomb is a miracle.

     It is one of the only words in the English language that can be used as every grammatical structure.

     Noun, verb, adverb, adjective, pronoun, proper noun – you name it. The F-bomb can also be used in any capacity to fit any situation. Even saying it without any other words is somehow acceptable as a complete sentence.

     When you hear someone use the F-word, you know immediately how they’re feeling. It’s that simple.

     Sometimes you just can’t get a point across without dropping obscenities.

     The punctuation that certain expletives provide can elevate a standard story into a great one if used correctly. This is a little something I learned during my time in the military, where my love of swearing flourished.

     Expressing emotion can’t always be done with the use of soft words like “shoot,” “darn” or “frig.”

     Believe it or not, there are multiple bonuses to casually cursing.

     The Journal of Psychological and Personality Sciences conducted three surveys on the topic of swearing, and all three studies found that people who casually swear are significantly more honest, authentic and are more likely to demonstrate integrity.

     It makes sense. Not swearing is a type of inhibition, just like sugar coating or withholding a harsh truth.

     I’ve never had the cleanest mouth, but I’ve also prided myself on being able to tell people what they need to hear over what they want to hear.

     Exercising inhibitions on something as unimportant as swearing hints that you are more likely to exercise other inhibitions with constructive criticism or honest feedback.

     Separate studies at Marist College and University of California San Diego found that those who swear more frequently also demonstrate higher levels of intelligence and possess a more comprehensive vocabulary.

     The studies also found that people who curse tend to be more open to accepting criticism, a trait that is utterly lost in this day and age.

     Those who swear more also tend to demonstrate a higher level of self-satisfaction and confidence.

     But more importantly, all of the studies showed that people who swear more frequently tend to just be more emotionally intelligent and fluent.

     Some honest swearing and feedback on my end has caused a lot of people to call me a genuine “gas-hole” right to my face.

     But this just gives more reason to swear casually. After all, I would rather surround myself with people who can appreciate an honest perspective.

     So rack up those IQ points, build your integrity, become more honest and curse like there is no tomorrow.