Poll: Swearing and intelligence

[letsnoobtehpwns]

I don't know my IQ... I do cuss though!

 

[destroyer2k]

I swear a lot and I don't mind. The IQ I have is around 133 by US standart, but in my language I have a something like 146 or something like that (and our test is more difficult but is easier for me).

Ow and this IQ test is bull**** as even some people with lower IQ can know more than some pearson that has 100 more IQ.

 

[la-le-lu-li-lo]

Also, IQ does measure intelligence, but not all of it. There are many other aspects to intelligence than what IQ tests measure.

 

[Smokeydubbs]

I swear because it's funnier, god damnit. I have no idea what my IQ is but I consider myself intelligent. But I don't lack common sense, which I'm proud of.

 

[sneak_copter]

Anyway, I've never trusted IQ as a measure of intelligence.

Yeah... I don't really think it does... with algebra, I can do it in my head faster then most people in my class could do it on a calculator, but I can barely read and I have to read it over and over again to really comprehend what it is...

I am the exact opposite. Now I shall destroy my claim to intelligence by inserting a smiley.

..
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[Grayjack]

I swear a lot, and my IQ is about 125.

 

[Fingerprint]

So fucking what if I swear? I'm (relatively) smart & I don't give a shit about swearing. Why should there be a correlation between I.Q. and intelligence? And more to the point, why should it matter?

 

[thousandfaces]

Oh, and at the end of the day, they are just words... words aren't bad, the tone and meaning expressed behind them is...

Amen bro. When it comes to insults or express angst their are words and expressions that can do it better that those so called 'bad' words.

 

[Dr.Sean]

EDIT; i am aware that IQ isn't intelligence- i just have no better way to find a correlation over the internet. (Unless someone has a suggestion?)

You can measure a person's intelligence by their use of grammar. Someone who has horrific grammar is more often than not a person of intelligence bellow that of a nematode worm.

 

[Uncompetative]

I've always been interested in why 'swearing' is such a negative thing within society and never really understood it. Something I've heard as an argument before (Or at least a downputting of people who do swear) is that it's less intelligent, or people aren't clever enough to think of something else to say, so they swear. Whilst i can see some truth in this, it can't be entirely right, as a lot of intelligent people do swear. (Comedians, most notably).

I've done several searches of the internet to try and find a paper, or study based on a correlation of this, but have never found one. If someone could point me toward one, i would appreciate it very much.

In case no one knows of one, i'll try a basic one on here. I apologise for generalisations, and use of peoples IQ's- it's just the easiest way to measure intelligence this quickly.

Just a side note; I'd rather not get into a discussion about weather swearing is necessary, rude or offensive, but i am interested in if you think there is some kind of relation between swearing and intelligence.

EDIT; i am aware that IQ isn't intelligence- i just have no better way to find a correlation over the internet. (Unless someone has a suggestion?)

Foul language is in inverse proportion to etiquette.

Etiquette, or good manners, is orthogonal to intelligence.

However, many presuppose a correlation because of societal stratification into what are normally called "classes". Without inflaming debate on what is, in reality a largely irrelevant set of geographical/genealogical birth circumstances, it is often the case that:

- a better class of person is well mannered and doesn't swear. Upper classes tend to have more money to fund the education of their progeny.
- a lower class of person has no need to impress their peers, or to be 'upwardly mobile' socially, so expresses themselves freely even brutishly.

Consequently, there is a polarization at work, which may lead some observers to incorrectly conclude that the upper classes have both good manners and high IQ (when this IQ is cultivated by their valuing of education, or at the very least, "talking the talk" - ensuring that the next generation develops the heteroglossia (exclusive language) that will both declare them as part of the 'elite' and compensate for their idiocy.

Conversely, the lower classes are so 'anti-establishment' and anti-elitist that they value "plain speaking" and are suspicious and even openly hostile to intelligent, informed debate (as it reminds them of their oppressive mandarin's heteroglossia), leading to "safe" proxy topics of babies, holidays and football.

As a bohemian (artist) I am technically outside of the class struggle and can be good mannered or sweary as the mood suits me.

So, in summary you aren't stupid to use 'spicy' language, but as a good chef... you can put too much pepper in it.

 

[ElephantGuts]

I have no idea what my IQ is since it's more or less irrelevant but I can tell you that I am very intelligent (not just baseless boasting) and I do curse plenty, where appropriate.

 

[Sebass]

Foul language is in inverse proportion to etiquette.

Etiquette, or good manners, is orthogonal to intelligence.

However, many presuppose a correlation because of societal stratification into what are normally called "classes". Without inflaming debate on what is, in reality a largely irrelevant set of geographical/genealogical birth circumstances, it is often the case that:

- a better class of person is well mannered and doesn't swear. Upper classes tend to have more money to fund the education of their progeny.
- a lower class of person has no need to impress their peers, or to be 'upwardly mobile' socially, so expresses themselves freely even brutishly.

Consequently, there is a polarization at work, which may lead some observers to incorrectly conclude that the upper classes have both good manners and high IQ (when this IQ is cultivated by their valuing of education, or at the very least, "talking the talk" - ensuring that the next generation develops the heteroglossia (exclusive language) that will both declare them as part of the 'elite' and compensate for their idiocy.

Conversely, the lower classes are so 'anti-establishment' and anti-elitist that they value "plain speaking" and are suspicious and even openly hostile to intelligent, informed debate (as it reminds them of their oppressive mandarin's heteroglossia), leading to "safe" proxy topics of babies, holidays and football.

As a bohemian (artist) I am technically outside of the class struggle and can be good mannered or sweary as the mood suits me.

So, in summary you aren't stupid to use 'spicy' language, but as a good chef... you can put too much pepper in it.

Nice post. My thoughts, but expressed better than I could have done it. ^^

And OT: I think I'm fairly intelligent (boast boast) and I swear so much, fuck doesn't even sound like a bad word to me anymore.

 

[Lord Mountbatten Reborn]

Well, I tend to swear less if I'm ranting against something to sound extra smart, though I swear a lot in the face of blatant stupidity. To be honest swearing has less effect on intelligence than the internet (bad example perhaps).

 

[Angerwing]

I'm 134 and I swear a lot.

My ex-PC technician (his a dude that works in a large company in technical assistance and he's the director there) is also quite intelligent, earns a lot by using his skills and he swears a lot.

I'm the smartest person I know, and I swear often. Mainly I swear out of anger, to add emphasis, or for comedic value. I swear for no other reason (there aren't many other reasons I can think of).

At least I know I'm more humble than you are, if you call yourself the smartest, then either you are full of yourself, or you know very few people.

What use do I have in being humble? I don't need to degrade myself so others feel better, or so they like me. I have enough people who like me. I'm extremely proud of myself, and I think degradation is a worse sin than pride. Who are you to judge me?

 

[Abedeus]

I'm 134 and I swear a lot.

My ex-PC technician (his a dude that works in a large company in technical assistance and he's the director there) is also quite intelligent, earns a lot by using his skills and he swears a lot.

I'm the smartest person I know, and I swear often. Mainly I swear out of anger, to add emphasis, or for comedic value. I swear for no other reason (there aren't many other reasons I can think of).

At least I know I'm more humble than you are, if you call yourself the smartest, then either you are full of yourself, or you know very few people.

What use do I have in being humble? I don't need to degrade myself so others feel better, or so they like me. I have enough people who like me. I'm extremely proud of myself, and I think degradation is a worse sin than pride. Who are you to judge me?

Degradation? It's called humility.

Great people are humble. Jerks are full of themselves. History shows this countless amount of times.

 

[Jharry5]

Last time I took an IQ test, I got 127. It was some time ago. I'm in university now, and I swear. But I know when it is and isn't appropriate.
I don't think swearing shows low intelligence, but with the stigma surrounding swearing, that myth has grown around it.

 

[Lucas Auraelius]

My IQ is 140-146 and I swear usually only when I think it's funny or when I'm really pissed off. Yes, swearing is still the height of hilarity at my age.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Swearing tends to use the gutteral consonants ("g","k","t") while intellectual speech tends to use the lighter phonemes ("ah", "yew").

But swearing can be done in many different ways...Raffles, the gentlemen thug's line in Viz of "Remove your decollétage from its corsetry for the delectation of the gentlemen present" is the same as "TITS OR GTFO!"

 

[b4k4]

ok, let me start by saying that IQ is like school grades, they don't measure how smart you are, so much as they measure the level of effort you put into a particular test or project.

Having said that, my ACT scores were in the top 20% of my state's, and I curse like a motherfucking sailor. I have a grand total of one friend who doesn't swear at all. And sure, he's smart, but my friends who do swear range from having taken special ed classes to having taken advanced placement classes in highschool.

People who are really interested in this question have way too much free time. Maybe they should try learning a second language or something instead.

 

[The_Echo]

Swears are words, how are they going to affect your intelligence? I don't know my exact IQ, as I've never taken a trustworthy test, but I know it's above average, and I like to swear a lot.