Albus Dumbledore once said that words are our most inexhaustible source of magic. If words can be compared to something so powerful, then the way we use them matters a lot.

I would like to write about a small change I wish to see in our community—a change in the way we speak, especially when it comes to swearing.

How many people have you met who don’t cuss at all? Not even in anger?

Yup. Very rare, isn’t it?

Have you noticed how cussing is normalized in our everyday life?How casually we say it? How it is everywhere like a contagious virus?

How it slips into our jokes?

How we use it as adjectives and wrap even compliments with it?

Think about WhatsApp chats, Insta reels and even everyday convos – how many sentences are cuss-free?

Just a handful.

Okay, just to be clear – I’m not a Maha-Gyani Kavi who writes complicated philosophical two-liners. I’m just a teen who is observing.

I have come across people who cuss and swear in almost every sentence, as if it is a habit rather than a choice. It happens so often that it feels almost…normal. Sometimes, it feels that cuss words are doing more work than the rest of the vocabulary combined.

Somehow, we’ve all agreed that swearing instantly upgrades our sentences to the highest level; like it makes people cooler. More confident.

Does it really?

I have always avoided diving into the ocean of swearing. Whenever I tell this to people, they ask me twice or thrice to make sure they’ve heard it right. It is hard for them to believe. I might’ve just said I don’t know what the internet is. It then made me pause and think – why is something so simple considered so surprising today?

Because the truth is, words don’t land as lightly as we think they do. Some people might wave it off, sure. But others may find it insulting or uncomfortable. Often, we don’t realize what effect our words have caused.

I’m sure everyone knows Javed Akhtar. During an interview, he was asked about his perspective on the use of cuss words. And his reply was pretty interesting.He said that wherever the food is bland, people eat chilli to add flavour. So – swearing is the chilli of language, used when thoughts lack depth (or are bland).

So, if we’re using chilli so often, then does the food have any flavour?

If we’re swearing constantly, does that mean our words lack the power and energy?

That’s quite…concerning.

Now, I’m not suggesting we turn into saints overnight – that would be quite unrealistic. No one’s expecting that. But what if we just…tone it down a bit?

Like…picture yourself actually uttering a sentence, surviving a group chat or expressing your emotions without a single cuss word.

Maybe we could pause and think before we speak.

Maybe we could express ourselves using positive words instead of falling back to the same old swears.

Maybe we could prove there’s more to our vocab than just 6-7 overused words.

Maybe the change I’m asking for is a bit too much, but small changes in our words can make a big difference in the world. It can make our communication more respectful, our expressions more meaningful, and our environment more positive. Long after we forget our conversations, we remember how words made us feel.

So, turns out, we have a very advanced vocabulary. We are just very emotionally attached to a select few words. Because it isn’t about eliminating swearing completely. It’s just about not letting it do all the talking.

Author – Saanvi Valvi, 14 Yrs.