Posted on 11/18/2016 9:06:53 AM PST by ExSoldier
Benjamin Bergen is the author of the book: “What the F: What Swearing Reveals About Our Language, Our Brains, and Ourselves.”
“It turns out that there are amazing things you can find out about how the mind works, how the brain works, people’s human sociality just by looking at profanity,” he explained.
The professor of Cognitive Science at UC San Diego said cursing could be linked to higher intelligence.
“It turns out that on average, the ones who swear the most also have the biggest vocabulary overall,” Bergen added.
(Excerpt) Read more at losangeles.cbslocal.com ...
I had a Battalion Commander in Germany that could rip you up one side, and down the other. He made Patton look like a Boy Scout. Ah, the good old days. I gave him plenty of reasons, as I was only a 1st LT in a primary staff position (S-4). One of the best jobs I ever had.
The difference was the ass-chewing was forgotten by the time you were out of the office.
Thanks for the reminder.
As to "righteous anger", I had that in spades during a particular ARTEP many years ago. I was wearing two hats, XO and Maintenance Officer. The Battery Cdr royally messed up a mission by incorrectly encoding coordinates, and it nearly flunked us.
At that evening's mission briefing, his demeanor was that of a beaten man, and it reflected down to the platoon leaders. That's when my "righteous anger" kicked in, and I let loose for 10-15 minutes, telling each platoon leader what they and their squads would do, step by step, the next day.
They didn't like it, but I was ready to fight the world at that moment. Little did I know that the Chief Evaluator was standing outside our CP, and heard everything. When I saw him, I thought "oh crap..." Instead, he said "that was beautiful LT."
Yeah, it was so beautiful that we managed to pass, and I received one of the worst efficiency reports of my career. For the sake of my soldiers, it was worth it.
I use to work in a state prison.
It’s amazing how some folks can use the f-bomb in a sentence without even thinking.
I had a Battalion Commander at Fort Lewis exactly the same way. But later I was cursed to work for none other than Colonel Barry MacCaffrey himself who started as the 9th ID G3, moved up to Chief of the Division Staff. At that time I was the Assistant Plans & Operations Officer for the G4. Our motto: YOU CRY, WE SUPPLY!
Then MacCaffrey became the 3rd Brigade Commander by the time I ETS'd as a 1LT and I made Captain in the Reserves.
When Desert Storm rolled around he was the 4th ID Commander and later on became the FIRST ever "Drug Czar" under Bill Clinton. That dude was hell on wheels when it came to chewing junior officer A$$. He did it for fun. The problem was he also ruined careers for his own amusement. Talk about a megalomaniac.
But there's always a group that goes and gets all serious and maybe Holier than Thou and the thread goes kerflooey.
Since I became a Dad nearly 30 years ago, I've worked hard to clean up my language. When I'm with my friends, we let our hair down a little.
I remember Fort Lewis well...lol. Gonzaga ROTC has a 4-day spring camp every year, and I also did Summer Camp there. Lewis Lake is damn cold in March, and not much warmer in June.
Not holier than thought.
I love the comments about the DIs
Wasn’t trying to be a poop. Just thought the study was freakin stooooppid
There is ample anecdotal evidence that George Washington was capable of cursing, for instance at the Battle of Monmouth:
General Charles Scott, who later became governor of Kentucky, said it was the only time he heard Washington swear. "It was at Monmouth and on a day that would have made any man swear", Scott said. "Yes, sir, he swore that day till the leaves shook on the trees, charming, delightful! Never have I enjoyed such swearing before or since. Sir, on that memorable day, he swore like an angel from heaven."
If one checks the historical record, one will find several such "isolated" incidents, as attested to by various Washington contemporaries.
Sounds like a liberal “witness” to me.
No efin way! That’s damn cool!
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General Washington's use of colorful language on that day [the Battle of Monmouth] was confirmed by several other witnesses in addition to General Scott.
I'm at loss to understand why you'd want to nitpick regarding a rather well known historical event.
It's a fact that George Washington, in general, was a model of self-control, and that he certainly didn't swear often in public. But it did happen on a least a few occasions...
I’m just giving you a hard time.
I absolutely agree with the Washington quote, yet, you’ll be shocked to know, I’ve been heard to curse myself!
Yeah, I’m a genius. Knew it all along. Especially behind the wheel.
Now that actually is a higher intelligence.
My MIL had a rule that if you could swear for two minutes without repeating yourself you had an acceptable vocabulary and were allowed to swear.
Any less then that and you were lazy and had not reached a high enough vocabulary level to swear.
Story came from CBS Los Angeles, which oddly, has the highest illiteracy rate in the country.
So at the moment i am watching the movie Patton.
I imagine that Gen. Patton swore a lot.
Hmmmm...
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