Your Bleeping Language

Does using profanity really make you sound more cool or more intelligent?  I remember growing up as a teen and trying to use "gentle" profanity around my parents.  My father would tell me that if I couldn't find another word to substitute in for the profane one, I was not as intelligent as he thought.  Ever since, I've found that widespread everyday use of profane language really turns me off.  I even left a job that was a five-minute commute, good pay, and good hours after two weeks of hearing the staff (including the supervisor) swear every other word, even in front of clients.  I made sure to tell this to the manager once I gave my notice.  It was actually the *only* reason I decided to leave.

Ok, so I hear you grumbling about the fact that you've either heard me use profanity before or you feel that it's not that big a deal.  I do occasionally drop a few nasty words when they come to me, but they're usually for extra emphasis when I'm a little frustrated.  I'm merely talking about the workplace at this moment, and you'll be hard-pressed to hear me swear on the job.  I find it extremely unprofessional to use profane language in a work environment.  This pertains even to when you're chatting in the hall in passing and are only talking to a co-worker.

I don't admonish the swear that escapes your lips when you bang your toe or have an equivalent blunder.  There are a few qualifying events that I think can warrant profanity.  I'm not saying that you shouldn't find another word or phrase to substitute in, but I can see that it might come out in these kinds of moments.  "Snafu" isn't the appropriate word to reach for either; do you really know what it stands for?  (Try Googling it if you don't.)

Please, just keep it out of the workplace.  There's no need to use that kind of language in a professional setting.  You don't hear lawyers using profanity in the courtroom, news broadcasters using profanity on the air, or doctors using profanity with their patients.  Just because you're behind the scenes (although, sometimes clients can even lurk there...), doesn't mean that you have liberty to say whatever you want at work.  Perhaps you just need to be challenged to find a replacement word and expand your vocabulary!  Kindle, iPhone, and Android products all have dictionary and thesaurus applications... try them.