You know those people who justify swearing by claiming that swear words are ‘just words’?
Well, they were wrong:
Most people will admit to letting rip with a satisfying string of expletives after stubbing a toe or whacking a funny bone. But it’s been proven that swearing when we hurt ourselves can actually help to ease pain.
Oh come on, really? Is it the swearing, or is it just the outburst, the physical release of language?
It’s not clear how or why cursing can lessen pain, but researchers think it’s because swearing triggers our natural ‘fight-or-flight’ response. Volunteers experienced faster heart rates which shows an increase in aggression; this is a classic fight-or-flight response in which a weakness or threat is downplayed in order to deal with it.
I’m sticking with my theory: all language is a release, from goodness gracious to effing heck to aaaaaarrrrgghhh!
