Why I curse like a sailor
SALTY SAILOR TALK
Apparently, to be my authentic self, I need to say %$#@ a lot!
I have great reverence for rich vocabulary, which is why I don’t understand my tendency for dropping unsavory declarations into my speech patterns!
I know I can control it because, if I make an effort, I can abstain from using dirty words.
But it feels good to swear sometimes, doesn’t it?
One of my friends calls any descriptive use of profanity “salty sailor language.” She’s a poised, lovely, and articulate lady, so when she utters “sh*t” or (the worst yet) “F**K,” it makes me feel a bit better about my own use of language!
Intrigued that I’m not the only one, I set out to learn more about the “why” behind our attraction to salty sailor talk.
The word “F**K” is wonderfully dexterous and can be used as a noun, verb, adjective, interjection, or adverb. Not many words can do this! My other favorite word, “sh*t,” is almost as nimble and can be used as a noun, intransitive noun, intransitive verb, and interjection. As nasty as they sound, profane words are powerful and behave differently than other types of language.
Harsh words are emotionally potent and have the power to incite reactions physically, socially, and psychologically. Quite simply, saying bad words feels good and has a direct connection to strong emotional reactions like joy, fear, passion, anger, and agony.
Profanity is easy to access. While most language functions (i.e. grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension) are located in the left hemisphere of the brain, studies on people with damage to their brains discovered that spontaneous profanity comes instead from the right side of the brain. This evidence comes from patients who had their entire left hemisphere removed, usually to disrupt a fatal seizure condition, stroke, or brain tumor. Although a patient may have lost all capacity for intentional language on the left side of the brain, they could still spontaneously and articulately utter expletives out of frustration. This means that we don’t even need to access the language center of the brain to swear!
Foul language helps us survive - and has since even before we developed language. “Bad” words come from our limbic system: the evolutionary structure that’s buried deep in our brains. This is the same structure that we share with primates and mammals. In other words, obscenities are primal and leftover from our caveman days! Swearing helps us survive in the wild and is responsible for the emotional calls, shrieks, cries, and growls that we hear from all animals, including ourselves.
Swearing helps you release stress (and recover from stressful moments). Scientists have actually proven that swearing is a primal human noise that can help us to release stress (and for those of us embodying the NCR Method, I’d also say: to stand authentically in our Truth!)
I’m suddenly feeling much better about my potty mouth! What about you?
While I will continue to be mindful of my salty sailor language, I’m also choosing to give myself permission to mutter an occasional spicy blast… These little bursts are just nature’s way of releasing angst, so I can “gracefully” navigate life’s little 💩 storms.
As you glide into your last weeks of summer, I want to wish you some descriptively RICH language experiences along the way.
Until next time,
💫 Andrea
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