Why swearing is good for you

[vellavu]

Why you should totally drop that F-bomb

LOVE dropping the F-bomb? Well, you’re in luck, because a new book has combed through all the science about swearing and says we should all be running our mouths off.

IT TURNS out your parents, teachers, principals and priest were all wrong. Swearing isn’t bad. In fact, it might even be helpful, and science is here to prove it.

These are just some of the surprising findings chronicled in Swearing Is Good for You: The Amazing Science of Bad Language, out on Tuesday, by Emma Byrne, a London-based writer.

It’s a poppy, comprehensive look at an often taboo topic.

“We spend so much time saying, ‘Oh, you mustn’t swear in front of this person,’ or, ‘I hope my kids don’t swear,’ but at the same time, we all do it,” Byrne tells The Post. “We have this odd relationship of trying to cure ourselves of something that’s obviously so beneficial.”

One of the benefits of a well-timed expletive is that it may mitigate pain. Psychologist Richard Stephens conducted an experiment in which subjects were asked to stick their hand in ice water and hold it as long as they could.

The subjects conducted the chilling test once while being allowed to yell out a curse word and again while uttering a neutral word like “wooden.” It turns out, when swearing, the subjects could keep their hands submerged longer and their perception of pain went down.

F**king magic.

 

[November]

Yes! I agree. This excites me 😀 I rekon there is something in the sound waves, releasing the tension caused by the pain (this pain can be a stubbed toe or emotional interaction). But with caution - using the words excessively can change the atmosphere, the space, the umm Energy of the place.

 

[thrasherpix]

I was reminded of this...

 

[thetopher]

Swearing is a natural part of language and communication so of course its a good thing, in moderation.

The problem I have is really only when people use it sort of like punctuation during everyday interaction; not only does it lose all its shock value (and therefore its intent) but the person talking comes across like a moron.

 

[vellavu]

Swearing is a natural part of language and communication so of course its a good thing, in moderation.

The problem I have is really only when people use it sort of like punctuation during everyday interaction; not only does it lose all its shock value (and therefore its intent) but the person talking comes across like a moron.

Isn't it the scenario of saturated competition or arms race? When normal swearing becomes a punctuation, people would invent more extreme ways to swear and sometimes the new swearing words become the new norm.

 

[thetopher]

Isn't it the scenario of saturated competition or arms race? When normal swearing becomes a punctuation, people would invent more extreme ways to swear and sometimes the new swearing words become the new norm.

Swearing is still about communication with each other, so while some groups come up with 'new' swear words they don't always have the shock value or value to communicate emotion as the old ones. The old ones should still be the 'classics' that everyone understands, and understands the context of them being used; 'I'm angry, I'm afraid, You've upset me by recording over my favorite show, I've just trod on a LEGO in bare feet and the pain is like nothing I've ever experienced so *bleep* *bleep the bleeping bleep * and so forth.

And all language changes, just like you have archaic names and terms you also have archaic swear words that no one uses anymore. Perhaps the f-word will become some quaint little term one day (although there's evidence to suggest that its been around for a while)

And also there are plenty of swear words that only really exist in one culture (Britain is especially good at inventive and variant swear words!) that lose their effect in other places, that has a habit of keeping the creating new, long-lasting swearwords to a minimum.

 

[ILLYRIAN]

And why is swearing good for you,
If you are the one swearing at another.

 

[Nix]

Pfff
I think a little is fine after a certain age. However there is one word I find hugely offensive and hate hearing from others and would never use it myself so I guess it's good for you if you like it!