#@%#&* in the workplace
Yehuda Baruch, a professor of management at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom, has researched the potty mouths of the proletariat and come to the conclusion that regular swearing at work can improve morale.
No ****, Sherlock.
This seems obvious to me.
Oddly enough, though, the opposite was the case back in my days as a pastor. Cussing up a storm was generally frowned upon in those circumstances.
And newsrooms are kind of genteel places these days, and swearing is kept to a minimum. There is a thin line between a colorful vocabularly and a hostile work environment, after all
But swearing accomplishes some things that poetry can't: swearing among peers can help blow off steam, build team spirit in a "we're all in this together" sort of way, and can be pretty funny if done right.
That's always been my beef with profligate cussers: they don't know how to do it right.
Here are a few of Riley's Rules For Swearing:
1) Children should never swear -- it's ugly and creepy.
2) Adolescents should never swear -- they just sound stupid.
3) Stubbing your toe in the dark -- let 'em fly.
4) In the connubial bed chanmber -- it's better if both parties like a little dirty talk. This is one case where blushing is not helpful.
5) At work -- this is like the court etiquette in medieval monarcharies. I wouldn't curse in front of the boss, unless he or she dropped the f-bomb first.
I'd be interested in knowing if you have rules for bad speech.
No ****, Sherlock.
This seems obvious to me.
Oddly enough, though, the opposite was the case back in my days as a pastor. Cussing up a storm was generally frowned upon in those circumstances.
And newsrooms are kind of genteel places these days, and swearing is kept to a minimum. There is a thin line between a colorful vocabularly and a hostile work environment, after all
But swearing accomplishes some things that poetry can't: swearing among peers can help blow off steam, build team spirit in a "we're all in this together" sort of way, and can be pretty funny if done right.
That's always been my beef with profligate cussers: they don't know how to do it right.
Here are a few of Riley's Rules For Swearing:
1) Children should never swear -- it's ugly and creepy.
2) Adolescents should never swear -- they just sound stupid.
3) Stubbing your toe in the dark -- let 'em fly.
4) In the connubial bed chanmber -- it's better if both parties like a little dirty talk. This is one case where blushing is not helpful.
5) At work -- this is like the court etiquette in medieval monarcharies. I wouldn't curse in front of the boss, unless he or she dropped the f-bomb first.
I'd be interested in knowing if you have rules for bad speech.
posted by Michael Riley at 10:25 AM
10 Comments:
Nothing tackier than a beautiful bride chompin' on gum and cussin'.
Never call a woman the "c" word: and I don't mean cute. "b" word ok if used as a joke like biatch, never the "c" word. The "c" word to a woman is like the "n" word to African-American and if you are a Black woman, never call her the "c" "n" combo!!
Never call guys the "f" anti-gay word unless is a group of buds at a bachelor party or hanging out.
wtf? Is it ok to use text msg abbrevs instead of standard curse words? what is acceptable?
You have no class, Riley.
The thought of you talking dirty to your wife in bed -or just you in bed is more vulgar an image than any curse word. I think I just threw up in my mouth.
Yeah, that visual was a little rough.
Thanks for "aksing".
I once worked at a place where we were all being laid off due to a 'merger' (read: acquisition)... so we needed to let off steam, and badly! We came up with a set of rules for interviewing, which included "Never use the "f" word in the first interview...
When I get mad at the boss I go up to him and use every cuss word in the book.Before he can respond I remind him I have Tourettes Syndrome.
Wow, your marriage proposal must've been so romantic! " Will you @#$% marry me?"
Cursing has no place in the workplace, though it seems to be becoming more of a means to express oneself. To the outsider, it sounds harsh. It makes one sound quite ignorant (what, no other means of saying something? Are we running out of adjectives? What are adjectives, you say?)
I knew someone in management who when he flew off the handle and let the curse words rip, was not only vulgar but scary. Hardly appropriate and actually abusive.
Post a Comment
<< Home