Swearing lessens pain

[nopasties]

Swearing can make you feel better, lessen pain
LONDON (Reuters) - Cut your finger? Hurt your leg? Start swearing. It might lessen the pain.
Researchers from the school of psychology at Britain's Keele University have found swearing can make you feel better as it can have a "pain-lessening effect," according to a study published in the journal NeuroReport.
Colleagues Richard Stephens, John Atkins and Andrew Kingston, set out to establish if there was any link between swearing and physical pain.
"Swearing has been around for centuries and is an almost universal human linguistic phenomenon," says Stephens.
"It taps into emotional brain centers and appears to arise in the right brain, whereas most language production occurs in the left cerebral hemisphere of the brain. Our research shows one potential reason why swearing developed and why it persists."
Their study involved 64 volunteers who were each asked to put their hand in a tub of ice water for as long as possible while repeating a swear word of their choice.
They then repeated the experiment using a more commonplace word that they would use to describe a table.
The researchers found the volunteers were able to keep their hands in the ice water for a longer when swearing, establishing a link between swearing and an increase in pain tolerance.
Stephens said it was not clear how or why this link existed but it could be because swearing may increase aggression.
"What is clear is that swearing triggers not only an emotional response, but a physical one too, which may explain why the centuries-old practice of cursing developed and still persists today," he said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsO...56C3WX20090713

Interesting find, was wondering what the more scientifically knowledgeable had to say about this.

[P014K]

I agree completely. It also helps in sports when you aren't doing well. A sort of mini-moral boost.

[roy34543]

But you can convince your brain that anything is swearing. From the word "damn" to "COOKIE JAR!"

[P014K]

If you can convince your brain to think cookie jar is a curse word then you sir should be a politician.

[D.B. Cooper]

They were talking about this on the radio this morning, I also agree.

[Mega Tortas de Bodemloze]

Yes it lessens the pain{psychologically} & lessens stress {cursing in rush hour traffic for example.} Thanks to OP for topic +Rep

[P014K]

I forgot about traffic. I curse SOO much while on the road

[MrMofo]

Swearing is a strange phenomena. People who stutter can swear fluently. And then think about severe cases of turrets.

[Copperknickers II]

The article is about as accurate as Harun Yahya.

Swearing is a placebo - it lessens pain because we want it to. We could train ourselves to do anything to lessen pain, and indeed do. The childhood soft toy in bed and lucky items of clothing are similar. I don't swear when i am frustrated or stressed, i breathe and clear my head. It works just as well, in fact better because you are not expressing it as anger which is only useful in certain circumstances.

Do not trust any research that comes from Keele University, is a pretty simple rule.

[gambit]

Its not a placebo, pain causes anger and frustration, swearing vents that frustration and is a type of "climax" to our anger, which helps adrenaline kick in. Adrenaline releases endorphines and wala

[Banana Jelly]

It really has helped me sometimes but it really isn't the way to go. I try to stay away from it. It is against Islam but I just get so into frustration that I feel like AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[Da Skinna]

I KNEW it!

All those times I've sworn in front of company at family dinners I knew I was just venting frustration! And offending Father O'Malley.

[Manoflooks]

I always thought that, but the reason I put forth was because swearing is supposed to be, like, forbidden, so when you do it you get a momentary "excitement" and it lessens the pain.
Even when you swear all the time, and think its okay, it helps ;ole that.

[PurPul]

The same results would occur, I think, if they replaced the swears with "ugh" or "ah".

Since most people say ugh or ah pretty often, it doesn't register in your brain that you shouldn't do that. It is the adrenilene from being "rebellious" that calms the pain. If you had to steal something, the same effect would take over. If you see cursing as bad, "rebellious adrenilene" would kick in.

[Playfishpaste]

Since most people say ugh or ah pretty often, it doesn't register in your brain that you shouldn't do that. It is the adrenilene from being "rebellious" that calms the pain. If you had to steal something, the same effect would take over. If you see cursing as bad, "rebellious adrenilene" would kick in.

I reckon most of the people surveyed wouldn't have. Many people swear often enough that saying s#%t is the same as saying spit.

Agh or Ah would induce the same innate primal aggressiveness that would come with saying f#$K really loudly. It's about stress relief. "book" and "clock" aren't things you can really get into.

[Machiavelli25]

I dont swear when i'm in pain. Maybe i did when i was younger, but these days i dont. There are much more effective ways to shut the nerves down.

[roy34543]

Seriously. Does anyone thinking swearing magically reduces stress?
Does saying Ben zona reduce your stress? because thats a swearword in hebrew.

[CtrlAltDe1337]

All it does is distract you from focusing on the pain. Nothing new, I thought we all knew that you could distract yourself.

[nopasties]

All it does is distract you from focusing on the pain. Nothing new, I thought we all knew that you could distract yourself.

What actually occurs in the brain is more complex than simple distraction. I find the link to the phenomenon of swearing interesting. Compare this to like some 1800's caricature of British civility. There is something in swearing that has a purpose. Today swearing is all too common and has little offensiveness IMO but it remains as a means of pain reduction. Interesting......

[Playfishpaste]

The same results would occur, I think, if they replaced the swears with "ugh" or "ah".