October 27, 2007

Ok, everyone out there, don’t think I am trying to be your mom by telling you all this but I really felt that I should point out this very important aspect of life — the language we use everyday. Take this:

You are sitting in front of your computer, typing your history assignment, when suddenly…guess what? The electricity goes out! And I know your reaction, the first thing you do is to blurt out loud that word…. You all know it is not in the list of “decent words you’ve been taught”. I know, I know, I have started to sound like your mom but believe it, once you get into the habit, you can even say it deliberately in front of your mom, too.

What is foul language?

According to wikipedia, “foul language” or “profanity” means obscene, lewd and abusive language. History tells that these words were highly prohibited but with the passage of time their severity reduced and their meanings had slightly been altered. Shakespeare once used an offensive word in Hamlet, Twelfth Night and Henry V and now its usage has entirely changed. The point is that with people starting to use it freely, the word simply becomes common. I couldn’t write the word here and I won’t like to because it will add a new word to the lexicon of offensive words you have up in your head.

You must know what “synonyms” are. So, in the past, people used self-invented words (in books or in plays) to refer to words which were taboo; these words became popular when common people started using them and a foul word was invented!

Indeed, nobody can deny that 60 per cent of the foul language you know came from TV and Internet, while the other 40 per cent from your surroundings.

What causes its usage?

About cursing, P. M. Forni, co-founder of the civility project at John Hopkins University, says: “Cursing is still the language of aggression… the precursor to violence. Very often, rudeness and cursing are the beginning of an escalation toward violence. Words — our words, are like our hands. They can soothe and heal, but they can also strike, which means they can hurt.” Readers, I think you got it; rude words are not only on the tip of your tongue when something against your will happens, they are also used for teasing people. Picture this:

You are sitting in your classroom; the lecture is going on, when all of a sudden the teacher asks a question to trigger his students, (who are wearing a disguise of “comprehending” while actually they are catching upon their sleep after spending the previous night chatting on the Net). No one responds and a hand rises from the back seat. Ah, the know-it-all, namely A, stands up, seeing the nodding face of the teacher, she starts answering. When she finishes and begins to descend to her seat, with a flushed face, (due to the gaping eyes of her classmates) a girl, namely B, from the front shouts “nerd!” What went inside ‘A’s heart, only she knows, as her lowered eyes clearly depicted that despite her teacher’s appreciation, ‘B’s response had left her pondering over the fact that after all the hard work, her classmates still think she’s a nerd, geek and bore. The last words in her mind regarding this topic were ‘Should I be a normal person and stop studying this hard? Should I join them because I can’t beat them?’

Did you realise the feelings of the offended. I don’t need to say more about the name-calling, because I think you all have learned it: respect everyone’s individuality and hold back that epithet in your mind!

Now comes, the cursing part. Estimate its intensity by these figures: 72 per cent men and 55 per cent women, 74 per cent 18 to 34 year olds and 48 per cent of 55 year olds and older admitted to swearing in public. Studies confirm that school children are swearing more than ever (survey from American Demographic). Why do you curse? OK, I know, I’ve already mentioned ‘why’ but can’t we control it? I am also a victim of cursing and I am healing, healing quickly, I am a teen and I hope all you teens can do it, too. Following are the common situations (that evoke the lexicon of obnoxious and foul words) along with suitable solutions to suppress it from exclaiming:

a. If your brother (or sibling or cousin) is teasing you, call him/her a potato (hilarious, isn’t it?)

b. If electricity goes off while you were watching something on TV or doing some important work on the computer, just press your lips together, grit your teeth and smile (even if you don’t want to). Think of how much work you’ve already done on your computer and how much you have already seen of your favourite show. You can always ask the rest of the story from your friend. Also, always keep a list of alternate things you can do WITHOUT electricity… so you don’t get your mind back to the troubles of your life.

And yes, one more tip, invent your own curse which means nothing, this way you can actually curse and not cross the boundaries of civility. Come on, something like “chips!” or “bam!” that is a homonym of the curse. You can apply this tip to all the other unpleasant situations you face.

c. If you get the universal feeling of teens namely “no one understands me”, don’t curse the people who disagree with you, just think that you are an individual who has aims, ambitions and targets to reach, you won’t be held back or forced to feel low… you have to make destiny! I just have to add the lyrics of Hilary Duff’s “Someone’s watching over me”:

“It doesn’t matter what people say, It doesn’t matter how long it takes, Believe in yourself and you’ll fly High!”
Sorry, got too emotional.

I have seen everyone giving names to the “nerds” of the class or rather the diverse fellows of your class… Readers, it is obnoxiously boorish! I am fed up of the excruciating names I hear everyday. These silent sufferers are not able to stand up for themselves and so the others take the illegal advantage of this fact, deepening the wound in their miserable souls.

Now, I know what you have in mind, it’s “why don’t they learn to ‘stand up’ for themselves, it is fun to see them grieving without complaining”. Well, let’s see about that; by mocking them, you are enjoying outwardly, having fun laughing out loud with the other chaps, but inside, you are spoiling your own language, alternating it into foul language. Remember, shaking someone’s dignity by your tongue is also counted as foul language. So do you really want to meddle in the unique and individual life of the chumps?

I hope this article influences you in some way. Trust me; being abusive can even spoil reputations of famous stars, you know how much disappointed you feel when your idol appears in the headlines and you quickly become all ears to the TV, suddenly that balloon in your heart pops to hear that he/she has done something bad or illegal. I know we all have dreams to become well-known and I know you don’t want to end up like the celebrity (or idol) that disappointed you. Happy curbing your foul language!