I have a new associate who has a rich vocabulary of permutation & combination of the famous F word! Sometimes as a noun. Largely as an adjective. Reminds of a (in)famous speech by Bhagwan Rajneesh. (well, he is no Bhagwan Rajneesh and when he uses the F word, it isn’t funny. (Will upload it sometime)

I don’t want to sound as a direct descendent of Mother Mary who speaks or the keeper of professional manners and etiquette. But how does one cope with a person whose speech is punctuated with profanity, especially so, if one isn’t used to it?

Well, I realise I have some options.

a. Ignore it all.

b. Learn it up and use it to join the club. Etc.

I have chosen on ignoring it. As more and more of it gets used, it has lead me to wonder, why profanity is used in the first place in meetings, public places, amongst friends, professionals, students, cricketers et al.

Do people think it to be an exhibition of sophistication. As some kind of key or ticket to power or success? Or is it another of aping Hollywood phenomenon?

Is it the need to sound rebellious and hence ‘unbelong’?

Or is it just a way of a public living in the modern times. One more word that doesn’t signify anything ?

To me, the usage of profanity in public / professional contexts paints a very shallow perspective to people and their content. Even if perfect sense gets spoken, it takes me a while to sift through the F punctuations, keep it aside and reach to the meaning. Life goes on. There are many species in the world. One such is of the F variety !