ATAR Notes: Forum

General Discussion => General Discussion Boards => Rants and Debate => Topic started by: EEEEEEP on August 06, 2017, 06:02:03 pm

Title: Does swearing make someone seem unintelligent?
Post by: EEEEEEP on August 06, 2017, 06:02:03 pm
A recent study from yale  has shown that swearing and intelligence have no link. I still don't quite believe it.


https://campuspress.yale.edu/yrurp/files/2016/05/Giordano-rg5y5r.pdf
AND
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/intelligent-people-tend-to-be-messy-stay-awake-longer-and-swear-more-a7174256.html
...
As with many, I am not gonna lie .. I do have a somewhat prejudicial judgement of those who do swear heaps. Quite a lot of people who I've encountered a lot that swear frequently do seem and act unintelligent. But maybe that's just my experience?

IT also seems to be the general opinion around my social circle that swearing means you are "dumb" and "stupid".

What are your thoughts on this? What are your experiences?
Title: Re: Does swearing make someone seem unintelligent?
Post by: blasonduo on August 06, 2017, 06:13:20 pm
We have Jake Silove, and who I think is first-hand evidence that the amount of swearing does not link to unintelligence ;)
Title: Re: Does swearing make someone seem unintelligent?
Post by: Calebark on August 06, 2017, 06:15:07 pm
I don't think it does. Swear words are variable and they get the point across. I've met dumb people who swear and I've met smart people who swear. They're just people.

However, there's a time and place for everything. If I hear someone dropping the c-bomb over and over in say, a classroom, I might think they're a bit of a fucking idiot (felt an obligation to swear on this post), not because they're saying the word, but because they have a clear lack of very obvious social awareness.

Title: Re: Does swearing make someone seem unintelligent?
Post by: Joseph41 on August 06, 2017, 06:16:19 pm
If so, I'm completely fucked.
Title: Re: Does swearing make someone seem unintelligent?
Post by: Calebark on August 06, 2017, 06:28:13 pm
It is of my idiosyncratic, individual sentiment that homo sapiens who utilise verbose speech or erroneous photosynthatic expressions auditorily appear to be of an inferior intellect to human souls that excessively utilise vulgar slurs.
Title: Re: Does swearing make someone seem unintelligent?
Post by: jamonwindeyer on August 06, 2017, 06:31:21 pm
I don't think personally think there would be a link to academic intelligence, but social intelligence, perhaps. Like, if you are insensible enough to be speaking in an extremely inappropriate way for the environment you are in, that would perhaps indicate an inability to gauge your surroundings. I can definitely empathise with thinking, "Jeez, this guys a tosser," if they are dropping the C-word every 30 seconds at a formal function.

But saying people who excessively swear are "dumb" or "stupid" is a huge blanket statement, extremely prejudicial/judgemental to make that call without context or background :P



Title: Re: Does swearing make someone seem unintelligent?
Post by: EEEEEEP on August 06, 2017, 06:42:48 pm
But saying people who excessively swear are "dumb" or "stupid" is a huge blanket statement, extremely prejudicial/judgmental to make that call without context or background :P
True that. It may be an OTT generalisation. ^^

Most contexts in my experiences may be:
- Random rants on the train
- Random road abuse
- Some political rants (mostly abeit incoherent)
- Random bump ins on the street :P
Title: Re: Does swearing make someone seem unintelligent?
Post by: Calebark on August 06, 2017, 07:17:04 pm
Why do you think swearing makes someone uninteligent, EEEEEEP? Is it because of the words themselves or the just the association with the people who tend to swear most?
Title: Re: Does swearing make someone seem unintelligent?
Post by: brenden on August 06, 2017, 07:24:52 pm
If so, I'm completely fucked.
Stole my motherfucking joke  >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(
Title: Re: Does swearing make someone seem unintelligent?
Post by: EEEEEEP on August 06, 2017, 07:27:51 pm
Why do you think swearing makes someone unintelligent, EEEEEEP? Is it because of the words themselves or the just the association with the people who tend to swear most?
The association, imo.  Not trying to sound elitist or anything but refer but some things that come to my mind are drug addicts, gym junkies, raving nationalists, "tough people" on the streets etc....

*Yes I know, not all people are of "Insert generalisation".
Title: Re: Does swearing make someone seem unintelligent?
Post by: Calebark on August 06, 2017, 07:30:52 pm
The association, imo.  Not trying to sound elitist or anything but refer but some things that come to my mind are drug addicts, gym junkies, raving nationalists, "tough people" on the streets etc....

*Yes I know, not all people are of "Insert generalisation".

One of these is not like the other, hm. Nothing about keeping fit makes you more unintelligent in my eyes. The last two, definitely, but I feel quite differently about the first one too (but that's a whole other debate).
Title: Re: Does swearing make someone seem unintelligent?
Post by: Joseph41 on August 06, 2017, 07:32:32 pm
Stole my motherfucking joke  >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(

Please watch your language.
Title: Re: Does swearing make someone seem unintelligent?
Post by: Calebark on August 06, 2017, 07:34:53 pm
Please watch your language.

You're the linguistics major here. Shouldn't you be watching your language?
Title: Re: Does swearing make someone seem unintelligent?
Post by: RuiAce on August 06, 2017, 07:45:04 pm
I swear all the time. Does that make me unintelligent?
Title: Re: Does swearing make someone seem unintelligent?
Post by: brenden on August 06, 2017, 07:46:35 pm
I swear all the time. Does that make me unintelligent?
Strong bait is strong.
Title: Re: Does swearing make someone seem unintelligent?
Post by: sweetiepi on August 06, 2017, 07:56:42 pm
I find this topic quite funny, coming from the OP :P

In all honesty, I swear perhaps too much, although I don't see much correlation between swearing and intelligence.
Title: Re: Does swearing make someone seem unintelligent?
Post by: fantasticbeasts3 on August 06, 2017, 08:02:52 pm
yes, but no. if someone swears a lot, they're probably going to sound less articulate. however, i do know many people who swear pretty much every second sentence, and they get their point across in a concise manner.

not going to lie though if i meet someone for the first time and they swear a lot i immediately get the impression they're not as articulate or can't express what they're saying very well.
Title: Re: Does swearing make someone seem unintelligent?
Post by: EEEEEEP on August 06, 2017, 08:12:48 pm
I swear all the time. Does that make me unintelligent?
YOu are a genius :P
If so, I'm completely fucked.
Hardly :')
Title: Re: Does swearing make someone seem unintelligent?
Post by: heids on August 06, 2017, 09:20:37 pm
I feel like there are different kinds of swearing, but I can't express the difference.  I feel like some patterns of swearing usage are correlated with unintelligence, and others with intelligence - but I have no clue why I think that haha.  Maybe it's just the content sandwiched between the swearing? 

As I've tried and failed to explain to my family, used in some ways (e.g. as a modifier - "fucking brilliant"), swearing can add force, colour and conciseness to speech.
Title: Re: Does swearing make someone seem unintelligent?
Post by: katnisschung on August 06, 2017, 09:23:23 pm
haha yeah it definitely adds force....vivid memory of jake walking into my first atarnotes lecture "physics is fucking amazing"  ;D
Title: Re: Does swearing make someone seem unintelligent?
Post by: Natasha.97 on August 06, 2017, 09:29:08 pm
I feel like there are different kinds of swearing, but I can't express the difference.

I think it depends on what kind of context it is based on (e.g. a person who usually doesn't swear gets really mad and swears at someone)
Title: Re: Does swearing make someone seem unintelligent?
Post by: brenden on August 06, 2017, 09:50:02 pm
haha yeah it definitely adds force....vivid memory of jake walking into my first atarnotes lecture "physics is fucking amazing"  ;D
He sounds dumb - you just got Jake fired.
Title: Re: Does swearing make someone seem unintelligent?
Post by: Calebark on August 06, 2017, 09:52:22 pm
Petition to add a swear filter where every swear word is changed to 'Board of Studies'
Title: Re: Does swearing make someone seem unintelligent?
Post by: EEEEEEP on August 06, 2017, 09:54:39 pm
Petition to add a swear filter where every swear word is changed to 'Board of Studies'
*****
Title: Re: Does swearing make someone seem unintelligent?
Post by: vox nihili on August 06, 2017, 10:25:39 pm
Haven't had a chance to read everything people have said here.

Pretty sure there isn't a good relationship between swearing and level of intelligence. But there is a relationship between how much one swears and how unintelligent they're perceived to be.