Not long ago, feeling betrayed, in a moment of sheer frustration and much to my surprise, “You’re a f——g bitch!” erupted suddenly out of my mouth. Afterward, feeling like I had truly conquered something, I realized I had fallen prey to the temptation of thinking my actions were justified. Actually, I didn’t think. I reacted. My intention was to put this person in her place.

Or, so I thought….

In retrospect, I was rude, out of control and out-of -line. I am not a goody two shoes by any means. However, the use of profanity—swearing in its worst form—is debasing, contemptuous, and offensive, which simply undermines one’s character.

Cursing can be cathartic and may serve as an immediate release to an aggravating emotion like hammering your finger by accident or stubbing your toe. It is truly warranted then. Refraining from using offensive language as a coping mechanism for a situation or problem that needs to be solved, is much more effective.

Cussing on a regular basis can be a kind of perpetual laziness, lacking in the ability to truly express oneself. It takes more effort to think before you speak. You may not even notice it or simply don’t care. After all, it’s your choice how you want to present yourself, but it is wise, at the very least, as something to think about.

This is true especially in the workplace. Swearing may serve a purpose amongst co-workers, but is generally frowned upon by management. An individual who can articulate what they mean and not resort to cussing, will not only beat the candidate who properly uses the English language instead, or any other language for that matter, but will have a better chance of excelling in their chosen career path or in the business world.

A study by CareerBuilder.com shows that 81 percent of employers believe cursing brings an employee’s professionalism into question, 71 percent of employers said that swearing shows a “lack of control,” while 68 percent says swearing demonstrates a “lack of maturity,” and 54 percent of employers said swearing made their employees appear “less intelligent.”

The constant use of expletives in the long run, can have a negative affect on your ability to communicate effectively in the long run, especially when it becomes an obnoxious habit. While the goal of swearing may be to impress, consistently swearing is actually un-impressive, cheapening what we have to say. Being articulate is what is cool. Swearing is not.