I don’t really have a problem with swearing. I mean, not the kind of swearing when your hand on a Bible and take an oath: the kind that involves so-called “dirty words”. Now, I’m not a big fan of swearing myself - I don’t do it that often - but I really can’t take exception with people who do. Again, as usual, watch it around people with sensitive consciences.

But I didn’t come around here to advocate swearing your head off: I was just thinking about why people don’t want their kids to swear, why they watch their language around their kids. And the point isn’t that they have a sudden case of the conscience around their children. I think they instinctively realize a couple things that make sense when you think about them.

First, children imitate: you watch kids, and you’re seeing little microcosms of their parents. You want to find out what the parents think about things and say about them in their spare time? Ask the kids. Kids say the darndest things, but they also have no inhibitions when they say the damndest things, either.

Second, children are bad with things like “knowing when to stop”. Kids like to push buttons and eat candy and run across streets, and they’re not reknowned for their good judgement in these things for a reason. They’re just kids. Same with language of any sort. Kids don’t have any idea when and when not to say “damn”. In fact, they don’t really need it. Any kid that goes around saying “dammit”, knows what he’s saying, and means it is probably headed for a troubled future in a padded room somewhere.

I think parents understand this. Children are photocopiers on repeat. They imitate and do a good job, just not with quantity and judgement.

Dan (Not a parent. Just imagining if I were.)

Tags: polemics