> Why even have swearing if it cannot be used? I think the point of having words which are not supposed to be said is to create a sense of risk around using th

> Why even have swearing if it cannot be used? I think the point of having words which are not supposed to be said is to create a sense of risk around using those words. Because swear words are mostly considered taboo there is a social risk to using those words (your listeners might be offended) that helps to emphasize the importance of the issue to the speaker (that they're willing to take on risk because it's important). For example it would be acceptable in a meeting to say: "That is a bad idea." But if you want to add in some social risk to emphasize your point you could say: "That is a really fucking bad idea." The latter statement would be considered rude and unprofessional in most work settings and, depending on the social environment, could even be grounds for termination.