End this bloody madness

My wife and I had a good old chuckle over the weekend when we read an article in The Daily Telegraph about Britain’s favourite swear words.

Surprise, surprise, it seems the days of us all dropping the occasional “bloody” and “damn” are long gone. Instead, the F-word and S-word are rife – and there are no signs that things are about to get better anytime soon.

After our laughs had subsided, and we heard some of our neighbours arguing and throwing verbal missiles at each other, my wife and I had a more serious conversation, asking ourselves a very simple question: does what we say really matter?

Both of us, independent of one another, came up with the same answer: yes, it does! And here’s why…

Language and behaviour are intertwined; one influences the other. The kinder and gentler the words we use, the more we behave considerately and sensitively. But when a more aggressive vocabulary is introduced, that’s when noticeable changes occur among individuals, groups and society in general.

You may, quite reasonably, ask how swearing can influence behaviour?

I am no expert, just a layman. But I do know that when I am with people whose language is ripe (at my local rugby club, for example), often the behaviour of the speakers are too. I can think of a recent visit to a pub on my doorstep; for a while it was quiet and people behaved in a considerate and orderly manner; but after eight o'clock in the evening there shouting and swearing became the norm, quickly followed by boisterous, or worse, behaviour. In the end, at least three people were asked to leave. And if they refused, the landlord threatened to call the police.

Call me old-fashioned, or whatever you like, but I believe language defines us – and it spurs us on in positive and negative ways.

I don’t like swearing albeit, on occasion, the odd swear word does slip out of my own mouth, particularly if I have stubbed my toe on the skirting board or whacked my fingernail with the hammer!

That aside, I pray we have reached the bottom and will start to work our way up the blasphemy ladder, to the point when young children don’t know every swear word known to mankind by the time they are ready to go to primary school.

I don’t know if this is a realistic expectation, but I certainly live in hope.

Tony Yorke is Deputy Editor of Sorted.