Art of Manliness - Latest Comments in Is it Manly to Swear?

Re: Is it Manly to Swear?

RobGoblin — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 19:06:48 -0000

There's a time and a place for it. If every other word in all of a mans sentences is a swear word,then there's a huge lack of vocabulary skills. I don't think it's so much manly. Any imbecile can cuss.

Re: Is it Manly to Swear?

Nosferatu — Tue, 03 Feb 2015 10:18:45 -0000

People can often mistake F bombs for ignorance, or just being downright uncouth. These people surly have not, or have forgotten what it was like to serve. Considering the college degree % of military personnel outweigh the civilian % these days. We cuss(ed) like sailors, and use words for stressing something in sentence form. (Airborne Artillery)
Manly? To each his own, but many soldiers I have served with understood HOW to use vulgar language. Of course you wouldn't normally address anyone of significant rank, whether it be commissioned or non-commissioned with bold vulgarity. But to get the point across to peers or joes it is a must. Knowing your surroundings and using tact is key even in the civilian world.
How many times I have wanted to just unleash on some poor soul who was always bitching and moaning like a child about work or being self-disciplined enough to just push through whatever sucked at the time. Having tact is more important to me than using swear words.

If you knew me, you would know that I am not ignorant by a long shot. You would also know that I understand how and when to reign in my military lingo for fear of piercing the thin skin of some dainty fellow. It is, however best to reserve language around ladies and children at all times, which shows respect and proper modeling. But if you feel I motherfuck too much, or I what the fuck more than you are accustomed...you might want to remove yourself from that dangerous situation. Words are apparently too dangerous of a weapon for you.

Air-fuckin-borne!

Re: Is it Manly to Swear?

abcuser123 — Sat, 15 Feb 2014 09:54:29 -0000

Sorry, I do not think swearing is cool and should be avoided at all costs. It is cheap and degrades the user as well as the people around them. People who think that swearing is a manly thing ought to examine their maturity level.

Re: Is it Manly to Swear?

TW — Mon, 30 Dec 2013 19:30:05 -0000

I think its an interesting question. I don't relate swearing to being manly or feminine really. I choose not to swear, based more of my moral and spiritual beliefs. I look at swearing as being immature and something I did when I was younger. I also think if something is doing in secret (meaning you only swear around your buddies) then its also something to be outgrown. To each his own, but I have and will walk away if someone starts dropping profane words left and right when speaking to or around me.

Re: Is it Manly to Swear?

JW — Thu, 26 Dec 2013 08:39:53 -0000

I know dozens of 'manly' men who don't swear. However, if you are going to swear, do it with style. Don't throw out f-bombs left and right - instead, have a repertoire of cusswords that are unique and imaginative and fit the situation you use them. Also, swear only in the apropriate settings (never around your elders, women, children, clergy, or other people you know are uncomfortable with such words, never while at work - if you work in an environment where the general public can overhear your unprofessional sounding expletives). Lastly, use cusswords that are non-sexual in meaning... there's a dozen ways that are better (and more appropriate) to say "oh f***".

Re: Is it Manly to Swear?

Dan — Thu, 19 Dec 2013 16:24:06 -0000

Just like with everything, this maxim holds true: know your audience.

I'm an advisor for a youth group called DeMolay. One of the virtues that is taught is cleanness: in word, thought and deed. Now, while this is a virtue of the organization, as one advisor said, they are not how we are to judge the youth, but a standard that we should all strive to uphold.

However, the question you pose is "Is it manly?" I have to say that it has to deal with the audience and the context. Your kid drops a can of soda in the grocery store? Not a manly place to curse. You smack your head as your moving some wood after chopping it? Most definitely is it manly.

Side note: science has proven that cursing after bumping your shin, toe, head, or any other body part will indeed reduce the pain.

Re: Is it Manly to Swear?

Amos Marr — Thu, 19 Dec 2013 01:05:54 -0000

I'm eighteen. When I was littler, I was taught that swearing, cursing, or 'cussing' was not an ok thing to do. However, as I've grown, I've begun to realize, with the help of my Father and my brother in the Army, that swearing can be used.

It destroys the manly aspect of it when it used too often. Used sparingly, it adds emphasis and emotion to a conversation. I swear when something horrible happens. I don't swear when something bad happens. If i broke my hand, you better believe that I'm going to be cussing. If it's a cut, I'd suck it up and deal with it later. Also, the company around you matters. I'm sure not gonna say anything bad around my Mother or sister, but when I'm out with my friends, or hunting with Pa, one or two words might slip out.

Everything in moderation.

Re: Is it Manly to Swear?

Richard — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 17:19:34 -0000

It is not manly to swear. But one must know and understand such words so it can be avoided.

Re: Is it Manly to Swear?

Alex — Sun, 24 Nov 2013 06:34:09 -0000

I think it's OK in moderation, just not particularly classy. For me it depends on the company - I moderate my behavior to match theirs. I've always thought the purpose of etiquette was to put people at ease and have positive relationships, and having people see you as one of them is important. If I'm with sailors, I curse like one. If I'm with academics, never.

Re: Is it Manly to Swear?

Tim Hogan — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 12:41:14 -0000

I read somewhere recently that people who consistently swear are statistically more honest and passionate. If this article was true then i think swearing should be considered manly. I think honesty and passion are traits of a good man

Re: Is it Manly to Swear?

Levi — Sun, 03 Nov 2013 11:52:15 -0000

An interesting point to note is that swear words are in fact stored in a different part of the brain than normal, everyday words. "Words" are stored in our white matter, the part of the brain associated with information storage and memory. Swear words however, are stored in the emigdula, the part of the brain associated with emotion and fear. And also swearing while in pain increases our tolerance to pain. In this sense, profanity is a more primal and emotively charged than normal words. This effect is not observed when normal words are shouted or uttered while the test subject was undergoing the same level of pain. So is swearing manly? It is certainly the most direct way to express extreme emotion, but extreme is indeed the operative word in that sentence.

Re: Is it Manly to Swear?

Boone — Sun, 03 Nov 2013 00:19:11 -0000

How can people say that swearing shows a small vocabulary? If I swear and you don't, then I have that many extra words in my vocabulary.

Re: Is it Manly to Swear?

Paul John Pages — Fri, 11 Oct 2013 10:02:12 -0000

There's a time and place for everything. And knowing that there is a time and place for everything and adhering to such a mantra, is manly in itself.

Re: Is it Manly to Swear?

Sean — Wed, 09 Oct 2013 02:31:06 -0000

No. Boys swear to seem cool. My grandpa always taught me that people who swear are unintelligent and unimaginative if they can't come up with some better way or expressing how they feel.

Re: Is it Manly to Swear?

Bob the Eternal Flame — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 03:26:39 -0000

I don't find swearing to be, as some have said, a weakness.

I do find it to be crass, careless, and in many situations, unneeded.

I learned at a very early age how to express myself fully (AND how to competently insult a fool) without the use of swearing.

That is not to say I do NOT swear-I am well versed in every swear word the English Language has to offer, and use them daily-why? There are some instances in life where a well placed "Aw hell," "Holy sh*t!" and my personal favorite, "DAMN IT!" are about the only reasonable response.

Hell, damn is so ingrained in my vocabulary, if I were to NOT use it, my family'd think I'd gone insane!

Re: Is it Manly to Swear?

Steven Hawkins — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 16:06:28 -0000

Not explicitly manly, though a man can use the occasional word in an appropriate setting. Most the time it's just immature or done in anger and shows a lack of control in that anger.

Re: Is it Manly to Swear?

Ben Gygax — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 20:59:03 -0000

I've been around 4 year olds who have cussed me out. Real manly, isn't it?

A real man doesn't have to use swear words.

Re: Is it Manly to Swear?

Patrick — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 21:43:35 -0000

It's useful to know how, but to hold your fire. If you develop a reputation for being a well-spoken man who swears rarely, when you do let it fly people will know you mean business.

Re: Is it Manly to Swear?

Mark — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 16:54:51 -0000

I take my cue on this from my father. Growing up, I never heard the old man swear. It's not like he didn't lose his temper sometimes, he just came up with better ways to say what he wanted. This is the most important part though: with his lack of swearing, anytime I heard a four-letter-word issuing from him, I knew the situation was unique. I paid attention, snapped to, and stopped whatever I was doing at the moment. I think that these words have a purpose and an importance, and I try to use them in the same way. If someone fills every other sentence with swear word fillers, then they mean as much as "the" or "an," and I think that is a shame.

Re: Is it Manly to Swear?

Josh D — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 03:49:45 -0000

I think it would be wise to reevaluate the question, first. Rather than viewing swearing as "manly" or "not manly", perhaps we should look at it as "classy" or "crude". That said, there is a right time and place for everything.

As men, sometimes it is socially appropriate to be crude or rough around the edges. When I go camping with the guys, we curse like sailors. There is a certain comradery in expressing the roughness and toughness that goes along with profanity.

On the other hand. sometimes (hopefully, most of the time) we want to be the classy gentleman. The social requirements call for us to be more eloquent than profane. Here, we should refrain from the coarseness and informality that goes along with cursing.

I enjoy nightlife and depending on my mood and the venue, i don different images-displaying different sides of myself. Sometimes, I play the gentleman: wear a shirt and tie, wield a martini, and aim for classy and intelligent. Other times. I go for the tough guy. I'll wear a t-shirt and jeans, drink a beer, and look and curse like I'm badass.

Re: Is it Manly to Swear?

Andrew Wilson — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 08:25:14 -0000

Let me first say that I'm in the "swearing has its place" group. One of my pasttimes is songwriting, and in my experiences I came across a brilliant man who told me that, in a song, a swear word will draw attention. A swear word should only be used in extreme pain or to illustrate a very strong point. I screamed bloody hell when I broke my leg. I should refer you to Annie Defranco's "Untouchable Face", a masterful illustration of proper swear usage.

Re: Is it Manly to Swear?

Jerry — Sun, 07 Jul 2013 02:59:02 -0000

Swearing shows a lack of intelligence and an inability to find more acceptable language to express ones self. Teenagers and children swear.. real men don't.

Re: Is it Manly to Swear?

Rohit Ramachandran — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 19:57:22 -0000

It's boyish cockiness. I don't do it anymore. Feel stupid doing it. Do it only when you're annoyed, don't be the angry young man.

Re: Is it Manly to Swear?

Aaron — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:29:34 -0000

Swearing should not be debated as a "When should I" topic. Men, manly men, say exactly what they mean and without mincing words. A man should swear when appropriate and when such a word will convey the right amount of emotion.

Let us not forget, that modern swear words have become popular because they are the jack of all trades. There used to be about 50 words and hundreds of combinations to say the word 'whore' for example. Yet whore is used more often because it's quick and everyone can understand it.

I will swear when appropriate. I will be more likely to pause before calling someone a curse word and instead say something like "Turd" or "Whelp" which in Modern society clearly states that you intended to call them something worse. Yet if someone is being totally barbaric, cruel or simply will not listen to reason - then I shall curse gladly. Think of some of the most manly jobs. A fighter pilot will avoid swearing on the radio but in an intense moment he may very well tell his wingmen "I'm fucking locked up" when a SAM site has him targeted. The same as soldiers. "Fucking move it" informs the all that they need to move with haste and immediately far better than "Move quickly". This can mean the difference between life and death and such a true Man acts decisively.

A manly man conveys exactly what he means in a way that everyone understands. If a swear word is necessary, then he should swear. Provided he does not swear every 5 minutes, a single swear word is enough to leave people speechless, which makes cursing a very valuable tool during critical moments or conflict.

Re: Is it Manly to Swear?

Albert — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 03:44:39 -0000

Greetings to all, I would like to share an observation regarding swearing, recently I was watching some old movies on TV and was surprised on how much swearing has been allowed in film industry recently, I was noticing that in the 3 films I saw I believe that the strongest word I heard in the dialogue was " stupid" and that drove the other character insane, I guess currently we have been exposed to so much swearing it really does not feel that odd to include it in our daily expression, of course you do only notice until you are around women or children that you can converse without swearing, maybe it is our modern response to the fact we cannot roar like a lion ?