I probably sound like an idiot
Are you [training to become] an English teacher by chance?
I probably sound like an idiot
If your character has to swear to get his/her point across, me, I tend to automatically deduct 50 IQ points from them
I honestly feel, that there are almost always more intelligent and eloquent ways to make your point, then to ever swear, swearing is generally for the guy or girl who doesn't have a large vocab and thus uses curses to supplement it. So it's a matter of how smart you want your character to come off as.
Now imaginative curses are a different story as well.
I probably sound like an idiot
I wasn't sayin it wasn't
If your character has to swear to get his/her point across, me, I tend to automatically deduct 50 IQ points from them
I honestly feel, that there are almost always more intelligent and eloquent ways to make your point, then to ever swear, swearing is generally for the guy or girl who doesn't have a large vocab and thus uses curses to supplement it. So it's a matter of how smart you want your character to come off as.
Now imaginative curses are a different story as well.
I probably sound like an idiot
I think that's an unjustified statement. I swear shitloads and I'm way above average intelligence. Curse words have weight. They possess a shock factor that other words simply can not contend with. To say a person isn't intelligent simply because they use vulgar expressions is simply ignorant. It's the language of the people. One of the greatest pitfalls of intellect is arrogance and the belief that one is superior to those on the lower end of the IQ spectrum.
Furthermore, there's nothing inherently wrong with curse words. In fact, I'd say that someone who is afraid or offended by swearing is less intelligent. The ability to see beyond societal norms and institutions and question their validity is one of the hallmarks of a great mind. You say smart people should not curse. I ask, why the fuck not?
Well, that's the point! This person [My character] is what you would call dim-witted. Stupid. He only works off instinct, he's a high-school wash-out and likes to tear up the streets with graffitti.
I was referring to a stereotype. Yes smart people swear like it's a shitstorm but whenever I hear someone curse it usually makes them seem less well mannered and less-civilized.
I believe this question is dependent on the character and the overall audience you're speaking to. The villain of a fairy tale for kids shouldn't be telling the princess to "shut the fuck up" but I could understand the leader of a gang in a book for teens and up speaking less than clean-mouthed.
I tend to avoid swearing to make my writing more suited for more groups of people. I find it's just as easy and sometimes just as effective to say that someone swore under their breath or something than to use the foul language myself.