Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

This Generation Is Most Likely to Swear at Work

bloomberg.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 59 posts

Re: This Generation Is Most Likely to Swear at Work

#31

Post by dredmorbius »

imgabe wrote: post #11

Whenever I see these "this generation does such-and-such" article, I have to wonder if it's really a generational thing or just an age thing. Do 20-something millenials really swear more than 20-something Gen-Xers or 20-something baby boomers did? I think probably not, but maybe people just tend to swear less as they get older.

A lot is age, though an underappreciated element I've noticed is economic climate.

Boomers, relative to other generations, had everything on a platter. GenX started relatively strong, but with some stumbles. Early millennials walked straight into the dot-com crash, then early 2000s boom.

Late millennials came into a complete shitshow, SV and finance being about the only real exceptions.

Having watched a bunch of early bloggers get really quiet, the FB generation oversharing strikes me as probably time-limited. About when the first wave of divorces starts, I figure.

Re: This Generation Is Most Likely to Swear at Work

#32

Post by A3mercury »

I don't find value in cussing in any setting personally. I don't mind when others cuss, but I just don't really feel it necessarily when I speak. I find it ironic at my place of work.. we're told not to wear headphones working long term at a clients office, but my CEO has no problem cussing in a pitch meeting with a new client.

Re: This Generation Is Most Likely to Swear at Work

#33

Post by noonespecial »

“Don't use words too big for the subject. Don't say infinitely when you mean very; otherwise you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite.” ― C.S. Lewis

If you swear infrequently (and get a reputation as such), you'll have something to say on those occasions where you really need everyone to stop and listen to you.

Re: This Generation Is Most Likely to Swear at Work

#34

Post by stinkytaco »

mc32 wrote: post #16
lightbyte wrote: post #13

Maybe it's just me, but I don't give two shits about swear words. They are the same as other words to me and have almost no negative connotation. I don't think twice about swearing at work, and neither do the other people my age (24) that I work with.

I think it's about the attitude it fosters and enables. It enables and fosters 'bro' culture and 'bachellorette' culture. And that can lead to people thinking it's okay to refer to others as bitches and duchebags etc.

I don't agree with this. We swear about situations, problems, issues and so on, but when you attack people, with any type of words, you've stepped over a line.

Re: This Generation Is Most Likely to Swear at Work

#35

Post by stinkytaco »

Clubber wrote: post #7

I'm late GenX. I used to swear like a sailor at work (and everywhere really) until I had a kid and I actively had to mitigate the use of my preferred expletives. A lot of fricks and dangs these days. My favorite? "Poop on a stick."

I learned about "get your poop in a group" from a coworker who works with children.

Re: This Generation Is Most Likely to Swear at Work

#36

Post by KaiserPro »

mc32 wrote: post #16
lightbyte wrote: post #13

Maybe it's just me, but I don't give two shits about swear words. They are the same as other words to me and have almost no negative connotation. I don't think twice about swearing at work, and neither do the other people my age (24) that I work with.

I think it's about the attitude it fosters and enables. It enables and fosters 'bro' culture and 'bachellorette' culture. And that can lead to people thinking it's okay to refer to others as bitches and duchebags etc.

Nope.

I am a sysadmin, I frequently swear in the most vulgar and crass way. However I do not and will not tolerate 'bro' culture.

If you are acting like a cunt to my fellow worker, I will make your work life a fuck sight more testing.

Do not pick on my fellow man/women, for I shall haunt you like a wet fart.

Re: This Generation Is Most Likely to Swear at Work

#38

Post by psyc »

lightbyte wrote: post #13

Maybe it's just me, but I don't give two shits about swear words. They are the same as other words to me and have almost no negative connotation. I don't think twice about swearing at work, and neither do the other people my age (24) that I work with.

I'm 40, and I feel exactly the same, personally. However, I don't swear around others until it's been established that they're swearers too. That said, I don't think I've ever worked anywhere where people didn't swear pretty commonly. And when I was your age, the 40 year olds were swearing too.

Re: This Generation Is Most Likely to Swear at Work

#39

Post by josephv »

Click bait I'm not clicking on. Advice from an almost-millennial (born 1981) and someone that's hired and fired countless programmers: don't swear at work, it makes you sound stupid. Some days you will swear more than others because some days and situations fucking suck.

Don't call people names regardless of your stance on swearing.

Know the audience, all communication should be tailored to who is listening, you should know if the person(s) you are talking to will tolerate swearing or not.

Swearing and using bad grammar or spelling are probably equal in many regards. Sometimes you can get away with it, but know who you are talking or typing to.

Post reply on HN