Mastering the Art of Public Speaking by Michael J. Gelb

Author:Michael J. Gelb
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
ISBN: 9781608686285
Publisher: New World Library
Published: 2020-07-21T00:00:00+00:00

Curse Only Judiciously

“Life,” according to legendary free-speech pioneer and comedian Lenny Bruce, “is a four-letter word.” Bruce was arrested many times for challenging the restrictions against the use of profanity. Bruce and others championed our right to curse, but is it wise and effective to swear when you’re presenting?

Some argue that cursing demonstrates authenticity. Judging by the profusion of recent bestselling book titles featuring words that in Bruce’s era would get you thrown in jail, they may have a point.

Linguist Michael Adams, author of In Praise of Profanity, makes the case that in the right circumstances, swearing creates a sense of bonding through a shared experience of rebelling against perceived conventions of “proper” language. The problem comes when this form of rebelling becomes so common that it’s no longer the most original way to express yourself.

Comedian and social satirist George Carlin, who was once arrested as an audience member at a Lenny Bruce performance, was gifted in his ability to use what he affectionately termed “dirty words” to get laughs and make people think, but many who have attempted to follow in his footsteps just sound vulgar and aren’t particularly funny.

Although in some contexts profanity may help you bond or connect with people, or get a laugh, it also runs the real risk of offending and alienating many others. No professional speaker has ever had a problem because they did not use profanity, so it’s probably best to exercise restraint. As Oscar Wilde noted, “There is no mode of action, no form of emotion, that we do not share with the lower animals. It is only by language that we rise above them, or above each other — by language, which is the parent, and not the child, of thought.”

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