Etiquette Friday – Raised Voice & Bad Language

It’s Friday and the day I request you join me in my campaign for 2012 to change “Casual Friday” to “Etiquette Friday”, to get people and companies involved. If we consciously make an effort every Friday then hopefully it will become a habit every day. I challenge you to make one small change a week and by the end of the year let’s hope we have a more pleasant and positive society.

Raised Voice & Bad Language

The majority of people prefer courtesy to rudeness and yet since the 60s and even more so in the last decade  swearing in public has become quite common. The older generation certainly find it vulgar, yet all types of people of all ages to young children use foul language especially the F word. To me it started when we heard the F word regularly on TV and in films and now comedians rarely do a show without swearing and some parents think nothing of swearing in front of their children.

Foul language also seems to encourage people to be loud and shout in public, whether this is to look for attention or because they are unable to express their emotion.

We can all use words we don’t normally use and raise our voice to convey emotion, especially when we are angry, annoyed or upset, but it doesn’t need to be loud, rude or foul mouthed. People who frequently use bad language are generally considered to be ill-mannered. It’s inappropriate for business and can damage a person’s reputation.

It is certainly not accepted when you are a public figure, for example when Vice President Cheney and Vice President Biden used foul language and got caught on tape, they were both widely denounced. Although Gordon Ramsey seems to have made it, the “F word”, acceptable in the kitchen, it doesn’t gain him anymore respect elsewhere, in fact the opposite! It is something you would be surprised to hear from the Roux Brothers family or Raymond Blanc.

There are towns in the United States and Canada that are looking to fine people who swear in public. Swearing in public causes great offence to many people and it does let a person down. People do not respect or admire you for swearing in public.

At the end of the day we can all say a swear word or raise our voice on occasions, when we trap a finger in a door, but using a swear word on a regular basis or shouting unnecessarily is offensive and good manners are about being considerate to others and respecting them.

Etiquette Friday is a good day for us all to make an effort to avoid swearing and particularly in public.

Picture credits: http://www.micheleborba.com/blog/2011/08/18/kid-swearing-cures-kids-start-no-cussing-clubs-at-school/