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Cursing at Work: Let the F-Bombs Fly!

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He got his start laying pipe for the Atlas Water and Sewer company.  Eventually, he climbed the ranks, becoming responsible for a staff of 800 and annual revenue exceeding $120 million. His name is Victor Kipling. This is his weekly column.

curse_words.jpgSo today the popular mantra mandates that we drink white tea and eat dark chocolate, while avoiding the evils of caffeine and nicotine at all costs. Supposedly, by doing so, we'll all be 'healthier, wealthier and wise.' We'll also become the Zen-like, unemotional zombies that most corporations and offices really want us to be. Paragons of political correctness, we'll just silently continue to suck it up, 'living lives of quiet desperation,' as Henry David Thoreau said.

As our daily frustrations continue to mount, we all too often end up with the unenviable - and equally destructive - choice, of whether to explode or implode. So while a few 'go postal,' others less dramatically simply get sour and sick, or just drop dead. And then there's most of us, not quite at these extremes, but needing a freeing of the spirit, a healthy laxative, if you will, for the soul.

And that, goddammit, is cursing! Aside from sex, drugs and possibly rock 'n roll, there's no better cathartic on the market. Better yet, it's free, legal, very individual and can provide an array of side benefits that can do wonders for your career.

Cursing is really a verbal shorthand that we use to express our feelings of anger when we're thwarted, checked or otherwise prevented from achieving a goal or expressing ourselves. Cursing helps us get through yet another day at the office, going from point 'a' to point 'b,' without a helluva lotta bullshit in between. It's a natural response, and has been used forever, cutting across all cultures and societies. Even the most prudish 'golly gee,' 'gee whiz' or other such terms, are nothing more than bastardizations of real, authentic curses that (OMG) one religion or another looked askance at.

Sure, you need very much to know your audience, and when in doubt the old silent, under your breath type of cursing is better than none at all. Generic cursing - or swearing - is also far safer than being so f'n stupid as to offend the innocent. For example, and beyond the obvious no-nos of singling out a racial or religious group for your public tirade, you also need to be alert to avoid insulting those with physical characteristics or other traits that you can't stand. You never know if one of your listeners (or someone within earshot) may have an obese mate, a handicapped child or a jail bird for a brother. No, this isn't at all about being politically correct, it's about saving your ass from unnecessarily making enemies, a session with the EEO bureaucrats, or worse. Like they say, it's really all about context.

Recently, the British Leadership and Organization Development Journal (stick with me, folks) conducted a study that found that "...frequent swearing can reinforce solidarity among staff and enable them to express their feelings". Not only is this right out of the military morale-building play book, but even The Donald, (in a Trump Blog), cited this study and fully agreed with the benefits that cursing provides. Prudently, he also advised that profanity should be kept to a minimum while in front of senior execs. or customers. Another benefit of cursing is that, when making a presentation, the use of a few strategically placed swear words, for emphasis, may well add just the right amount of spice needed to convince the audience of your sincerity and commitment.

As humans, we're blessed (and cursed) with the ability to speak, and what a damned shame it would be if we didn't use it to make ourselves feel a helluva lot better.

Posted on Wednesday, February 13, 2008 at 07:23AM by Registered CommenterVictor Kipling in | Comments5 Comments

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Reader Comments (5)

You certainly have an interesting view on a controversial subject. Every employee handbook ever printed makes reference to "salty" language in the workplace. Theraputic benefits or not, it certainly would be wise to keep the profanity in your head and release them at home.
February 13, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterLeslie
F!@# YOU, Leslie!

It's okay because I typed it at home.
February 13, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterHa
I curse a lot. I'm at a director level in IT. I've never had a problem with any of my reports or non-reports complaining about my language. I censor myself when appropriate, but cursing is human. There's nothing wrong with talking to your employees and co-workers at a more intimate, human level, even if it includes an f-bomb. Now, I would never curse at them. That's a whole different ball game.
February 15, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterJonathan Brown
I have to say, a well placed curse whether it be in an informal setting or even in a workplace presentation, can have a number of good benefits. Aside from being funny and keeping people listening, it also humanizes the speaker. One quick well placed word (bastards!), and all of a sudden everyone in the room can relate to you. I will say that using curses sparingly is definitely advised - too much just sounds ungly and angry. Great article though!
February 19, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterT. Bowden
Yeaaaaaahhhh baby! Take that human resource masters!!!!! You F'n a-holes!!!
April 16, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterF*!*!^K

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