What does it mean to “not become you?” It means it doesn’t make you look good, support your cause or generally put you in a good light.
Profanity in this context means you look cheap, unsubstantial and weak-minded.
I am reminded of the thrill we got as kids when we used ‘dirty’ words. We thought we were both cool and daring; our parents and teachers knew we were simply feeling our oats (trying to be confident and self-important). I remember some of them privately chuckling, while shepherding our thoughts and language to a higher plane. I also remember my mother’s bar of soap as it grated against my teeth!
Our dirty words are now commonly used for all sorts of reasons—to express disdain, frustration, and pain (as when hammer hits thumb).
Profanity has reached new heights of juvenility. F-bombs, once so provocative, have become throw-away adjectives, evidence of a weak imagination and ill-developed vocabulary. Repeated in rapid sequence, they bespeak an unhinged mind.
I’d chuckle about this, but it cheapens us all. When diatribes are nothing more than a string of dirty words, I struggle to find meaning. We all understand the frustration and rage that accompany such spewing. Some of us seek a bit more substance, such as context for or alternative to whatever evoked the outburst.
Want to stand out? Find something that becomes you? Break from the maddening crowd. Develop your vocabulary. Find your voice. Express it with respect. Welcome intelligent push-back. That’s way more fun—and productive—than trash talk from a potty mouth.
