Effective Communication: Beyond Overused Obscenities

Daily writing prompt

What is a word you feel that too many people use?

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Instead of a specific word, I have a collection of overused words, specifically obscenities. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not against others using them. However, I believe in using them sparingly. The constant barrage of these words, every other word or sentence, is a source of discomfort for me.

I just realized this when I started my current company. When I was still a fledgling hire, two of the younger associates began a contest with the word “F” to see who could say it more. The majority of the line joined in keeping tabs on counters and how many times they said the word until they became bored with the game.

Saying this once or twice never bothered me. Have you yet to start a contest about it? I went to a supervisor to let him know I wasn’t entirely comfortable with this behavior, and he spoke to everyone the next day. No one said anything. I looked around for the culprit, except for the two associates who stared straight at me.

It was clear that they denied my claim of ever starting a contest. From then on, they treated me coldly. My former coworkers rarely spoke to me. Occasionally, an associate would stand close to me and say, “Oh, I hope we don’t get caught saying the ‘F’ word.”

I knew they were ridiculing me for saying something, which made it hard to repeat anything. It was a frustrating and isolating experience.

Now, I grit my teeth and listen when others use the words needlessly. I have no issue with others using cuss words, but I firmly believe there are words out there that can convey the same intensity, if not more, without the need for obscenities.