In Australia, swearing in public can potentially land you in a lot more trouble, as well as debt, than might expect.
Although it’s not uncommon for many of us to drop a swear word when we get frustrated, it is actually considered illegal when visiting restaurants, beaches, and parks, right across Australia.
“A person must not use offensive language in or near, or within hearing from, a public place or a school.”, states The Summary Offenses Act of 1988.
Anyone caught swearing in New South Wales can face up to 100 hours of community service or a fine of up to $660.
In South Australia, you could get three months imprisonment or a maximum penalty of $1250.
Victoria and Queensland also enforce the stand and clearly define swearing as ‘disorderly, offensive, threatening, indecent, and violent.’
And while some places outlaw swearing, psychologists are finding that swearing can be a pretty good indicator of a person’s intelligence.
A strong link between intelligence and swearing was found by the University of Rochester after researchers quizzed 1000 people about 400 typical behaviors. Participants were asked to state how often they performed those 400 behaviors, and the people with higher intellects were found to be more likely to swear, eat spicy breakfasts, and walk around the house naked.
Their findings were published in the Personality and Individual Difference.
Another study, published by the Language Science journal back in 2015 found that rather than being the sign of someone with a limited vocabulary swearing proficiency was a sign of rhetorical strength.
One can not help but feel sorry for intelligent Australians in this day and age.
How do you feel about Australia’s ‘no swear’ policy? Share your opinion in the comment section below.
Source: Daily Mail
