Let’s face it, we’ve all heard it at some point in our lives “that people only use swear words because they can’t think of anything else to say.” Is this actually true though?

I personally tend to curse like a sailor at times when I find it appropriate, but I never thought I was stupid because of it. Of course I refrain from cursing when I’m around children to the best of my ability, but when I’m with my peers, I let it all go. So now I wonder, does this reckless and abusive language mean that I have a lower overall intelligence level than others?

Are other people who have the ability to replace these curse words with more intellectual and meaningful words smarter than me?

Does this mean that my swear words make me stupid? I have always thought of myself as decently intelligent and resourceful. I try to be optimistic and strive to be articulate, but maybe I’m not.

When it comes down to it, it really depends on how you swear, when and how often. Some people actually do replace every other word with the “F-bomb” even around children, elders, and people who will obviously insult someone within their perimeter.

On the other hand, some people use these bad words to accentuate a story, and possibly make it more humorous. Then there are those people who swear every once in a while to those people to whom they are closest simply because they feel more comfortable with them. There might be other type of people who swear, but these are some broad groups that I have come up with.

After looking at the different kinds of people, only one really sticks out that might be a little less intelligent. If you are the guy (or girl) who literally swears way too loud in public, and has no consideration for your surroundings, you might just be the “stupid” one. Of course, you may have some underlying intelligence or know how to fix a tractor, but most people will agree that you are indeed obnoxious.

These are the people whom think it’s funny to blurt out certain swear words when they stub their toe, but receive looks of disgust instead.  People aren’t looking at this person because they think it’s cute; people are looking at them because they are either concerned they might be injured or they just think that they’re extremely immature. I am personally recommending that you strive to not be this person.

In some sense, you may believe that there is nothing wrong with cursing in front of children, but I guarantee that the parents most likely despise it. Additionally, you don’t want your kid to get sent home for swearing at the teacher unless you want the entire school to lose respect for you.

If you are one of those people who just do it to make their joke a little bit funnier or you’re simply letting loose with some people you have known for years, then you are most likely not doing anything wrong. You’re not stupid. You just have a different cultural influence, and you have the ability control it.

If you know when and where not to curse, and you have the ability to control it depending on your atmosphere, then you’re probably perfectly fine. If you think it’s going to make the end of your story sound a little bit better, then I say go for it.