Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/732903
U ntil my mid-30s, I worked primarily in construction and the military, both bastions of creative cussin'. I did my part to uphold my reputation under these circumstances. But then, one day out of the blue, it began to seem counterproductive, if not wrong. I'm not talking about the kind of cussin' that happens after you hit your thumb with the hammer, the kind of profanity that, as Mark Twain once said, "provides a relief denied even to prayer." I'm talking about the steady drumbeat of expletives, day in, day out, di- rected at one or more people or groups who have somehow managed to, as they say, screw up an anvil. This kind you get in spades in basic training, but less and less as you become more compe- tent in your military occupational specialty. Be- fore I quit my cussin', I noticed that the most competent people, the most accomplished soldiers I knew, rarely swore – at least not in those long stem-winders the drill sergeants used. These were mostly Special Forces guys; the elite of the elite. I never met one who wasn't easy-going, low key and self-confident. Similarly, in the construction world, it seemed as if the best craftsmen – the most talented guys I worked with – knew how to hold their tongue. They never seemed to get rattled. By the time less composed guys had finished their verbal tirades over some fubar, these craftsmen had already begun working on a solution. I've come to realize over the years that cus- sin' never solved a problem. Maybe there was some temporary release of anger by the cusser, but when it was over, the cussee was none the wiser – frightened, but rarely enlightened. The older I get, the more I think the habit of foul language shows mental weakness; bluster that covers a troubled spirit. "For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of," says the gospel writer Luke. My theory is that the more experienced soldiers, mechanics, and construction work- ers know that the energy it takes to unload a profanity-laced tirade is better spent assessing the problem and figuring out how to fix it. Two impulses can't inhabit the same brain at the same time. The wise man trains himself to choose the right one. For the new hires, low-skill guys, lumber stackers and parts washers, construction can be boring and monotonous. But if you're worth anything, you'll soon be asked to take on more challenging tasks, and that means problem solving – dozens of different small problems that have to be analyzed and fixed every day. This takes a lot of focus and mental energy…perhaps why cussin' decreases as competence increases. So, be honest: Is the language on your jobsites blue enough to turn a bystander's ears red? In the old school days, perhaps nobody cared. Nowadays, that can offend a lot of people, create an undesirable work environ- ment, and contribute to the poor image outsid- ers have of the construction industry. The solution isn't a company-wide policy. That would be impossible to enforce. But, if you manage others who have a problem with their language, a private one-on-one is justifi- able. And whether you're the owner, an execu- tive or a supervisor, you can set an example. After all, you're the most competent guy out there…right? October 2016 | EquipmentWorld.com 86 final word | by Tom Jackson Cussin' TJackson@randallreilly.com