There’s a Netflix series about cursing etymology called The History of Swear Words hosted by Nicolas Cage. It’s bizarre, enlightening and fun.
Many of the swear words have become overused over time and the intention of the words have been lost. But when you take a step back, you realize these words have power. F**k, Sh**t, B#tch and Damn.
Of the words explored in the series, damn seems to be the mildest in a modern context. But it used to be shocking.
Nowadays it is expressed as “dammit,” a familiar and routinely spoken expletive embedded in most conversations like other four-letter ejaculations.
I once read an article that said that the word’s origin is “God damn it.” And the author seems to say that we need to resurrect its original real meaning to vent our dismay frustration, anger and outrage at the things that are now happening around us.
Come to think of it, why not?
Man has always called on God to wreak havoc on His enemies. Biblical passages are replete with God’s wrath bringing down destruction on those who stray away from His ways.
In the Gospels, Jesus went on a rampage when He saw the temple being de-sacralized by noisy peddlers and hawkers of goods, accusing them of turning the Temple into “a den of thieves” through their commercial activities.
The Hindus have a God of destruction, whom they call Shiva. There’s a legend that says if anything wrong happens in the world and it angers Lord Shiva, he opens his third eye which may be an end of this world. Lord Shiva’s anger can damn people who are evil or unjust such as misusing someone else’s money, desiring to abduct someone else’s spouse, or making efforts to disturb a marriage and so on.
Sometimes, in my utter frustration, I wish that the Divine being would show His wrath again at this point in human history. Yes indeed, in unison let us use it as our response in an antiphony of collective cry against crimes being done to humanity. As in Pollution. God, damn it! Racism. God, damn it!
But I have learned to resign myself to the lesson that the Divine, indeed, damns the wicked but in His own way and time. Slowly. He first makes them mad those He wishes to destroy. Not immediately, as in instant karma.
I may get damned by the righteous and be accused of being blasphemous, but I think God understands what is really on my mind.
Here is my litany of who and what should be damned by God. Feel free to say “God, damn it (or them)” in response.
Religious hypocrites and self-righteous.
Corrupt people.
Destroyers of the environment and climate change deniers.
Bigots.
Abusers of women, children and the weak.
Public servants and politicians who put self above country and people.
Spreaders of fake news.
People who feel privileged and entitled and who circumvent and bend the law to suit their wants.
Enablers of impunity and violence.
I never used to allow myself the permission to feel angry because I believed it was wasted energy and I didn’t like the thought of that. But I’ve learned that every feeling —even anger—is valid.
At best it is cathartic. As the host of the aforementioned series, Nicolas Cage, says: “There’s something innately human about swearing.” Especially when you feel overwhelmed or helpless or angry about what’s happening. In fact, research tells us that it is not good to bottle up your anger; repressing anger can actually hurt you.
Anger can be turned into power, and that is when change happens. Studies seem to show that feeling angry increases optimism, creativity, effective performance—expressing anger can lead to more successful negotiations, in life or on the job.
One of my favorite movies is Network made in 1976 about an ex-TV anchor who suffers a mental breakdown because he couldn’t take it anymore. There is a scene where the protagonist named Howard Beal rants live on camera: “I want you to get up right now. Sit up. Go to your windows. Open them and stick your head out and yell: I’m as mad as hell and I’m not gonna take this anymore!” Things have got to change. But first, you’ve gotta get mad! You’ve got to say: I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!
Maybe if we all get mad and yell, God will finally hear our collective cry of frustration and damn the evil doers of this world. Yes, God, please do something. Damn them.