Cussing/swearing a sign of low IQ?

[Lon]

As you'd imagine, the majority on the planet, even among Christians: cuss and swear.

The long-standing position has been that cussing and swearing reveals a lack of vocabulary, lack of education, and "Poverty of Vocabulary."

Recent research shows that it 'may in fact, be the opposite.'

I sometimes shake my head at studies like this because it reminds me of the debate of whether Christians have lower IQ's than the rest of the world. It is all an attempt to use a sledge-hammer of statistics to beat the other side down and make ones' self feel good/superior perhaps.

In this study, I've a bit of doubt about any research done well, but it doesn't matter. For me it misses on several fronts:

Regardless if one 'knows' more vocabulary, it is absolutely true that if you use expletive, these are crutch/filler words (like "just, for sure, er, uhm, ah).
I do use filler words often to make a point, like 'ah.' "Ah' while for most a filler word, I use to convey a sarcastic 'I see" when another is belittling, being arrogantly pedantic, or just missing the mark and I'm about to correct them.

The point here is that swear words are actually not descriptive, but used to convey emotion rather than content. "<blank> you" doesn't mean anything. It is an attempt at a purposeful insult and an expression that "I am mad." Note on both accounts, there is indeed a demonstration of 'poverty of vocabular' regardless of how many words an individual knows. They are not using it: thus poverty is accurate and no study can even attempt to prove otherwise (which is why I laugh/shake my head). There is no 'study' that can disprove poverty of vocabulary unless they chase a strawman. I'm incredulous (shaking my head) or amused because these are college educated people, often professors, all of them swearing and cussing no doubt, trying to prop up their use of colorful metaphors instead of using their words in greater and expanding capability. :Z

Swearing/cussing does not show a low IQ or education, nor that such have lower vocabularies. It rather shows they 'use' those vocabularies less frequently at the time of swearing/cussing.

Colossians 3:8 Ephesians 4:29,30;5:4

 

[User Name]

..it reminds me of the debate of whether Christians have lower IQ's than the rest of the world.

"...the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light." - Luke 16:8
"Brothers, consider your calling: Not many are wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth." - 1 Cor 1:25

 

[Derf]

"...the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light." - Luke 16:8
"Brothers, consider your calling: Not many are wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth." - 1 Cor 1:25

Bob Enyart says, "Stupid doesn't make you sin, but sin makes you stupid." If you're stupid, it doesn't require you to cuss, but it might make you have trouble fulfilling prideful desires, and those might make you cuss.

Children have lower IQs, if you compare them in the same category as older folks. We're supposed to come to Him as little children, so it doesn't surprise me that Christians might have lower IQs. And many of the early Christians were slaves, sinners like prostitutes, etc., and had less education, probably, than others. Kind of like the well not needing a doctor, but the one who sees that he's sick, knows he needs a doctor, even if he doesn't know what the doctor will tell him.

 

[Lon]

"...the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light." - Luke 16:8

A bit vague in this translation, but it doesn't mean what you thought: "wiser" means 'more shrewd' in context. If you aren't a Christian, does it prove my point? If you are, just not one for more education?

"Brothers, consider your calling: Not many are wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth." - 1 Cor 1:25

It is an aside from the intent of the thread, but the last I looked, the majority in the Mensa club were theists, most of them Christian.

btw, you quoted the wrong verse You meant 1:26 but the verse actually puts more emphasis on the fact that few intellectuals come to Christ:
1Co 1:26 For you see your calling, brothers, that not many wise men according to the flesh are called, not many mighty, not many noble.

Bob Enyart says, "Stupid doesn't make you sin, but sin makes you stupid." If you're stupid, it doesn't require you to cuss, but it might make you have trouble fulfilling prideful desires, and those might make you cuss.

Children have lower IQs, if you compare them in the same category as older folks. We're supposed to come to Him as little children, so it doesn't surprise me that Christians might have lower IQs. And many of the early Christians were slaves, sinners like prostitutes, etc., and had less education, probably, than others. Kind of like the well not needing a doctor, but the one who sees that he's sick, knows he needs a doctor, even if he doesn't know what the doctor will tell him.

Paul, of course, was one of those exceptions, as were any of the priests and Pharisees who followed Christ. The thrust of 1 Corinthians 1:26 is not upon unlearned Christian men and women, but on the few in the world, even today, with egos, education, wealth, and strength, who do not come to Christ. "Harder for a rich man than a camel..." and as you rightly say, 'the well do not seek a physician...." It isn't that they are any more well regarding sin, but disbelieving, they will not seek a physician whereas those who know they cannot cure themselves, have no ability to remove sin, will come to Christ.

 

[Bradley D]

I used to be a drunken sailor before I got saved. I saw my swearing as low self confidence in self. Swearing to try to impress others while feeling lacking within self.

 

[Derf]

I used to be a drunken sailor before I got saved. I saw my swearing as low self confidence in self. Swearing to try to impress others while feeling lacking within self.

Did you think that about swearing while doing it, or only after you became a Christian?

 

[Sherman]

Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. - Matthew 10:16

Unintelligence is not an attribute that Christ wants us to have.

 

[Bradley D]

Did you think that about swearing while doing it, or only after you became a Christian?

When your an alcoholic you don't think much about anything! When at work or visiting parents on leave I watched more what I said.

 

[Gary K]

Bob Enyart says, "Stupid doesn't make you sin, but sin makes you stupid." If you're stupid, it doesn't require you to cuss, but it might make you have trouble fulfilling prideful desires, and those might make you cuss.

Children have lower IQs, if you compare them in the same category as older folks. We're supposed to come to Him as little children, so it doesn't surprise me that Christians might have lower IQs. And many of the early Christians were slaves, sinners like prostitutes, etc., and had less education, probably, than others. Kind of like the well not needing a doctor, but the one who sees that he's sick, knows he needs a doctor, even if he doesn't know what the doctor will tell him.

I find this comment incredible.

Jesus was speaking to the trust little kids have in their parents. You know, how the little kid will literally run off the edge of the porch and leap into his dad's arms when his dad holds his arms out. It doesn't occur to the little kid that dad might some day drop him because of the trust that he has in his dad. He "knows" his dad isn't going to do anything to hurt him. It isn't until kids grow up that they get cynical and stop trusting their fathers. It's that trusting nature of children that God wants us to display towards Him. Stop thinking we're smart enough to understand everything He does and says and just trust Him to teach us and to reveal Himself to us. In other words, display faith in God, not in ourselves.

That's what Jesus was referring to. The trusting nature of children. That you would actually imagine that Jesus wanted Christians to be stupid just blows me away. God gave us the Bible to bring us into contact with His mind. His infinite mind. When we bring our minds into contact with His it expands and broadens our minds as the Holy Spirit teaches us what is in God's mind. God always elevates humanity. He never degrades it. Nor does He ever want us to be in a degraded state.

There is no relationship between education and intelligence. Some of the smartest people I've ever known had little education, but a lot of intelligence. Look at how many early computer geniuses were actually high school dropouts. They were intelligent enough to program, create programming languages, computer systems, and design electronic circuits, but their education levels were low.

Education doesn't make us intelligent. Education can, and I mean, can, reveal intelligence but it often also reveals stupidity. Ever heard of the proverbial "educated idiot"? I once met a college senior ready to receive his degree in mechanical engineering. However the guy had so little mechanical ability he couldn't drive a car with a mechanical transmission. He'd tried a bunch of times to learn, but it was beyond his capabilities. He was literally an educated idiot without any ability to understand mechanical devices. How he thought he was going to succeed in his chosen career path was completely beyond me. There are a lot of people like him. They can read the right books and memorize the answers but to actually understand the concepts and apply them is far beyond their capabilities.

I worked for a guy like that. He was a former copier repairman. To fix anything on a copier for him was a matter of memorization. He'd memorized the gearing ratios, the way the rolls were supposed to turn and where the paper was supposed to go, and the electronics manuals. But to actually understand the electronic and mechanical principles that governed how the machines worked was beyond him. It was all Greek to him.

I also knew three guys who ran a computer programming business. Two were self-taught, and they did the majority of the work. The third guy had a degree in computer programming and he was by far the least talented of the three. They gave him all the boring work and they did all the interesting stuff. They did all the software design and layout. The college educated guy was a code monkey.

 

[Lon]

I find this comment incredible.

Jesus was speaking to the trust little kids have in their parents. You know, how the little kid will literally run off the edge of the porch and leap into his dad's arms when his dad holds his arms out. It doesn't occur to the little kid that dad might some day drop him because of the trust that he has in his dad. He "knows" his dad isn't going to do anything to hurt him. It isn't until kids grow up that they get cynical and stop trusting their fathers. It's that trusting nature of children that God wants us to display towards Him. Stop thinking we're smart enough to understand everything He does and says and just trust Him to teach us and to reveal Himself to us. In other words, display faith in God, not in ourselves.

That's what Jesus was referring to. The trusting nature of children. That you would actually imagine that Jesus wanted Christians to be stupid just blows me away. God gave us the Bible to bring us into contact with His mind. His infinite mind. When we bring our minds into contact with His it expands and broadens our minds as the Holy Spirit teaches us what is in God's mind. God always elevates humanity. He never degrades it. Nor does He ever want us to be in a degraded state.

A strong true meaningful statement. Nice work.

There is no relationship between education and intelligence.

Education is simply a toolbox with instructions. We all learned to read and write. Some of us do it better than others. It can be a mark of intelligence but it also might rather be a mark of gifting. 1 Corinthians 12 -Lon