Did you know swearing is good for you?
Do you swear?
The dictionary definition of swearing is – rude or offensive language that someone uses, especially if they are angry. Did you know that swearing in public is still illegal and can result in a fine, admittedly it would depend on the circumstances, however you are likely to be fined if you swear in front of children in a public place and someone reports you.
Swearing is often seen as a sign of week vocabulary, a result of a lack of education, laziness or impulsiveness. We tend to judge those who swear quite harshly, but would you believe me if I told you that swearing can be good for you?
Swearing Eases Pain
Believe it or not, swearing can ease pain. A lecturer at Keele University managed to prove that swearing dulls pain by convincing 67 of his students to get into an icy cold bath. One group was allowed to swear while the other group was only allowed to say neutral words. The lecturer found that swearing increased his students pain threshold by almost 50%. On average, students could tolerate the pain for nearly 2 minutes when swearing but only 1 minute 15 seconds when they didn’t.
Swearing triggers a well-known stress induced analgesia which is part of the fight or flight response. Adrenaline is released, the heart pumps faster and we become more enabled to overcome an aggressor or make a swift getaway. Swearing helps people better tolerate pain.
Swearing Increases Productivity
Scientists in Australia have also shown that colleagues who swear tend to work more effectively together, feel closer and are more productive than those who don’t. They tend to trust and respect each other more.
The same study shows that managing stress in the same way that we manage pain, with a good curse, is more effective than any number of team building exercises. Swearing also makes the heart beat faster and makes us less likely to be physically violent.