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Swearing is limited language that can offend or hurt people’s feelings, and children often pick it up. To stop using profanity, use emotional language, consider who is around, apologize for slips, and use techniques like a profanity ticket or censoring yourself. The English language offers many other expressive words.
While it’s common to hear swear words just about everywhere, it’s still possible to learn not to use them. Swearing is actually quite limited language, which can offend or hurt people’s feelings. Additionally, profanity is often picked up on the young children around whom it is used. Using profanity is a fragile habit that can be helped by a few tips.
First, consider our language. We have different ways to express our feelings and swear words tend to leak out when we need to express our feelings the most. A helpful way to stop using profanity is to arm yourself with emotional language. “This hurts my feelings”, “I’m really angry” or “I’m feeling frustrated”. “I’m tired” or “I’m impatient and angry”.
The more we learn our language, the more ways we have to actually express our feelings without resorting to profanity. Especially since we have so many other ways we can “use our words,” avoiding swear words can actually allow us to express how we truly feel. In front of children, this type of expression is very useful, because it teaches them the emotional language they will need to cope with difficult situations or challenging feelings.
Another tool to avoid slips of the tongue is to always use language that you would use with a young person or an elderly person. If dear grandma was in the room, would you really choose the word sof? If a young granddaughter walked by and someone stepped on a toy, would they have exclaimed hurtfully? Consider that in public, someone’s dear old grandma or sweet baby may be nearby.
If one slips, say what they should have said. It helps to get used to saying the words that don’t offend. Also, apologize for an oversight in a public place. Recognize this behavior as potentially harmful or offensive and acknowledge your mistakes. An apology can be a healthy way to remind yourself that such language is now prohibited.
Another method that some find helpful is the profanity ticket. If one slips and says a word, levy a reasonable fine. For teenagers, this might be a quarter, and for adults, maybe a dollar. Donate the money to your church or charity.
Some new parents replace gibberish with swear words, and this can be helpful. Another technique is to actually make a beeping or buzzing sound like you would on a television. Censoring yourself can be a good initial step towards switching to more creative words.
Some may argue that the only acceptable time to use profanity is if you are acting in a party that requires it. At other times, the richness of the English language offers many words that are far more expressive than true feelings. While this can be a difficult habit to break if you use profanity a lot, it’s not impossible. While profanity is often called “colorful,” truly colorful language expresses one’s diverse vocabulary and skills as a speaker.
