What do you think about swearing?

Question

If someone swears around you, do you think less of him/her? I have a guy friend who f-bombs almost everyother word. I understand if its only occasionaly, but now its just getting obnoxious to be around him. How do I tell him to quit it without him thinking I'm stuck-up?

Please keep in mind that this is one of my very good friends, so I simply just don't want to "get up and walk away".

Answer 1

Just explain that his language makes you uncomfortable and you'd appreciate if he wouldn't curse so much. He may just be having fun without realizing he's being offensive. If you calls you stuck up, then at least you know he doesn't respect your opinion.

Answer 2

It's a matter of manners. Let him know you don't appreciate the foul language, if he thinks you are stuck-up or high and mighty, well, so what. He may not actually realize how much he swears and might be grateful for you letting him know. You probably aren't the only person getting fed up with his mouth. Younger people usually swear more because it makes them feel more grown up. My friends used to swear like crazy, but now they don't hardly at all. I've had to ask a lot of people to watch their language around my kids. They act as though I offended them then, but I genuinely didn't and still don't care. I was always taught not to say certain things around women. Swearing, burping, spitting, farting, and fighting in the presence of women is way off limits.

Answer 3

I agree with some of the other posts. Ask him why he uses vulgar language so much. Have a mature adult conversation about it and then say that you don't like it when he uses it and not to use it when you and him are hanging out.

Although I'm a Christian now, I did stop going to Church for a while and my language became pretty bad. Almost sounded like a sailor. Plus being around my older brothers didn't help either. I no longer use vulgar language nor use the Lord's name in vain anymore.
Even though I still get angry and frustrated like everybody else I watch my mouth.

As for how I think of people who use vulgar language it doesn't make me hate them. I do feel though that using that kind of language is degrading and may even show ignorance of the English language. There are millions of words in the English language and so many people do not respect it.

Answer 4

Ignore the person who said to stop judging people. You can't help it if you do and besides you're not. You can't help it if you're just not one of those people who curses just for the sake of cursing or to be "cool". I hate it when my friends curse it's annoying and then it starts to get stuck in your head. Which causes you to get distracted. Why am i telling you all this you already know how it feels! Sorry.
I would give him the message by signals. Look away whenever he says curses or walk away. Hopefully he'll get the message. Ask his friends for advice ask them how they first got used to his swearing habit. Try doing the same.
A possibilty to why he's doing this is to may-be catch your attention. May be your the only one he can trust to tell you about how he feels about some things and can't help cursing. May-be he lives in a habitat where he's allowed to swear.

I know you don't want to seem obnoxious, but i think that may be the only way you can get to him. If he gets mad tell him why you're really doing it. Make huge, but quiet sighs or groaning to send him the message that you're thinking in your head, Oh here we go again. Then walk away for a long time and then sit back down and act all to sweet. So he gets the idea that you're trying to tell him to stop, but you don't want to be mean.

If you don't want to do that than you have to confront him, it's better than listening to all that swearing! Just don't be to aggressive, you know your guy the best so go with your gut, you know what his personality is and his reactions are. I hope this helps.

Oh sorry i said to walk away, i was still typing when you wrote that, i'm a slow typer so sorry. I guess you can ignore that part then. And do you mean like dump him by walking away or literally walking away from him like i said. If you meant literally walking away than sorry. And while i'm at it sorry this is so long, but i hope it's worth it if it's helpful! =)

Answer 5

I don't like it when someone swears. This guy that you are talking about seems to be a bad impression on you and on others! What you should do is to tell him straight up. "(name), if you don't stop swearing, then we shouldn't hang out anymore." This is just an example of what I would say. You see, whenever I swear (when i'm mad) I do it silently and when i'm alone. I don't like swearing, but it just blurts out! Anyways, the only people that would hang out with this person are really hurtful people. If I were you (your choice) I wouldn't be his friend anymore. I can't stand when people swear, I just don't like it. I wonder who created such words....
You're not being stuck up when you tell him that you don't like him swearing, of coarse, he might think that you are, but you have to say something to him, or he'll never stop!

Answer 6

I have not said a swear word in 15+ years. I do think less of people when they swear and I have a friend just like yours. I could see a real level of inteligience difference between us. Finally I just asked him..why do you cuss? He said out of habit. Thats probably your friends problem is simply habit instead of just trying to sound tough or cool. He only slips up a couple times when I'm around because he respects my language rules. Your friend should respect your language rules.

Answer 7

People who swear do so because they don't have a word in their vocabulary to properly describe their situation or explain what they really mean. Swearing is usually not a required part of everyday conversation, and should be used (if at all) only in extreme circumstances.
To get him to stop, just tell him that it is offensive to you that he swears so much. Most people will respect honesty and limits I think. He probably will still slip up, but he will have it in his mind that you don't like that, and will probably apologise and try to do better.

Answer 8

It is very annoying and I get tired of people who incorporate swear words into every other sentence. It does not have to do with intelligence, I worked for a very smart man who would swear alot but tried to keep it in check around me, a woman. It seems to become their "language." If you want to keep him as a friend you are going to probably have to tell him not to swear around you. If he can't do that, perhaps you'd better find someone more pleasant to be around for your own mental health.

Answer 9

"Profanity is the sign of a bankrupt vocabulary". Is is neither necessary nor helpful when used. Persons who pepper their speech with such language often have no idea how they sound. They have never been taught that such verbiage is crude and a confession of possessing no manners. We only know what we have been taught and they have not been taught anything else. Popular entertainers do nothing to help this trend. They often tend to use such language and others imitate them thinking it 'in'. How wrong they are. It demeans them and those they address. Perhaps your acquaintance has no idea exactly how offensive he sounds. It might be helpful and a kindness to tell him, or print out your answers and show him what others have to say about such things. You don't have to even say the question was yours. All the best.

Answer 10

I think someone who swears all of the time is either too ignorant or too lazy to use a better word.

I used to be annoyed by these mental midgets and ask why they want to be perceived as having a very limited thought process and vocabulary, but now I just ignore them.

On one special day I called one a monosyllabic oaf. His reply? "I am not." That was the day I chose to tune out rather than fight the void which is their mindset.

Answer 11

Swearing is appropriate on ocassion and in the right company (people who don't mind) but someone who swears chronically like that is just doing it to get attention (and making a porrt attempt at it as well)