The foolish and wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing is a vice so mean and low that every person of sense and character detests and despises it.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Washington condemns swearing as a low vice that respectable people reject.
- In plain terms
- Swearing is a bad habit that good people avoid.
- What can you take from it?
- Self-control includes avoiding offensive language.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Does speech reflect character?
- Where do we draw the line?
Another view
Language norms vary widely across cultures and contexts.
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Our country's honor calls upon us for a vigorous and manly exertion; and if we now shamefully fail, we shall become infamous to the whole world.
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