In one study of 530 people, published in the Journal of Personality Disorders, we analysed written essays about peoples’ close relationships. We also collected data on their levels of personality dysfunction. Those with greater personality dysfunction used language that carried a sense of urgency and self-focus – “I need…”, “I have to…”, “I am…”.
You know whom I distrust the most? People who never swear, and always interact with you with the same, even, sanitized, smooth personality.
The Mormons are particularly adept at this. They think never swearing and never raising their voices makes them more polite and more respectful of others, when in fact it makes them seem suspicious and sketchy as hell. I know they have good intentions when they do that, but it makes them sooo infuriating.
The unshakeable, ubiquitous politeness is something I don’t really miss from Utah. I remember how refreshing it felt when someone first told me “holy fucking Jesus” or “fuck you” or something after I left.
I’m less weirded out by people that don’t curse or use expletives at all, than I am by people that substitute them with innocuous words. Sure, I get using dang instead of damn around others, but when someone uses frick more than people use fuck it’s just really offputting. Like, just because you aren’t using the same word, doesn’t mean you aren’t cursing.
Some people have a child’s understanding of the world.
As a man who has had lots of gay sex with Mormons, I can tell you… they scream all sorts of filthy shit. They’re just programmed to behave. So yeah, they’re very good actors and that’s pretty scary.
Weirds me out, too. I’m from the maritimes where “fuck” is essentially a pronoun.
