Recent studies have shown that swearing can be a sign of intelligence. For some, foul language is completely unacceptable but swearing is a normalised part of daily language. It’s also only acceptable in some settings. In some offices, swearing can even cost you points at your job. Each culture has its preferred obscenities.
Does swearing make you more intelligent?
A 2015 study found that swearing increases vocabulary. However, profanity doesn’t automatically increase brain power. The more “bad” words you know, the more fluent you likely are. A wide vocabulary can be a sign of intelligence but it doesn’t necessarily mean the speaker is more intelligent. Swearing also shows signs of creativity.
Most obscenities have to do with religion, bodily fluids and genitalia. This could be why so many people find them so objectionable. But some people creatively find ways to swear without saying the offending term itself. This is especially common for people who are around children or are trying to reduce their habits of swearing. But how does it ultimately help?
What are the health benefits of swearing?
1. Honesty
Studies show that people who curse lie a lot less. People who are profane are also more likely to have more interpersonal integrity. Expressing your emotions with colourful words is more honest and straightforward. It also leaves little room for ambiguity or doubt. However, this doesn’t mean that people who swear are less likely to be disingenuous or unethical.
2. Better pain management
Don’t beat yourself up if you curse every time you stub your toe or lock your fingers in a door. Swearing also improves endurance when doing exercises like cycling. People who also curse while doing grip-strengthening exercises can squeeze harder and longer. There’s also research to suggest that people who curse can endure more pain. Swearing initiates the body’s defence response by increasing adrenaline, pulse and breathing.
In addition, swearing can trigger an analgesic response which reduces the body’s response to pain. However, if you swear too much, it can lose its power. Men who are also less afraid of pain are more likely to get the pain management benefits of swearing.
Read also: Useful Pain Management Tips From The Experts
3. Less violence
Swearing allows you to express emotions without having to resort to violence. Cursing is a healthier way of releasing aggression or frustration without getting in someone’s face. When you encounter an upsetting client at work or getting harassed on the streets, a healthy release of expletives helps you manage that rage before it can make things worse. However, in an office, you may need to take a walk somewhere you can curse without being heard by clients or supervisors.
Swearing helps you cope with strong emotions without having to worry about having any physical altercations. In addition, if a friend is frustrating you and you yell at them using expletives the message may land a bit harder than when you use diplomatic language. However, depending on your friend’s capacity to receive swears you may not want to create a new conflict by being potentially disrespectful.
Read also: Anger Management: Tips To Tame Your Temper
4. Preserved creativity
Historically, patients who got strokes on the right sides of their brains lost their abilities to speak, express emotion, and understand jokes. However, sometimes patients who lost their ability to speak could still curse. Words with strong emotional content that are learnt early on can be preserved even when the rest of the language is lost.
Cursing may not always be appropriate but when the occasion calls for it, you can let an f-bomb blow.
Check out:
7 Reasons Why Being Sensitive Is A Great Thing
