Swearing - an Indicator of Intelligence, Honesty, Creativity, and Pain Relief - Research
Cultured and educated individuals often view swearing as a vulgar sign of low intellect. However, swearing can also serve as an indicator of certain advantages. Various studies have highlighted its potential additional benefits.
CNN has compiled these studies on the topic.
"Swearing has many advantages," says Timothy Jay, an esteemed professor of psychology at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, who has been studying swearing for over 40 years.
The benefits of swearing have emerged only in the past two decades due to extensive research on the brain, emotions, and advancements in technologies used to study brain anatomy.
1. Swearing can be an indicator of intelligence. A 2015 study demonstrated that well-educated individuals with an extensive vocabulary are more adept at producing witty and humorous remarks involving swearing compared to those with less linguistic fluency.
"Having the strategies to know when and where it is appropriate to swear, and when it is not, is a social cognitive skill akin to choosing the right attire for a specific occasion. It is quite a complex social tool," explains the study's author.
2. Swearing can also be an indicator of honesty. Scientists have found a positive correlation between the use of swearing and honesty. A series of three studies published in 2017 showed that individuals who swear tend to engage in less interpersonal deception and exhibit higher levels of honesty.
3. Suttering a swear word instead Swearing not only aids endurance but also helps alleviate pain. If you accidentally pinch your finger in a car door, uttering a swear word instead of an exclamation might result in a decreased perception of pain.
4. Swearing is also an indicator of creativity. Due to its association with the expression of intense emotions and thoughts, swearing is considered a characteristic of creative individuals. Studies on swearing date back to the Victorian era. Even then, doctors observed that patients who had lost their ability to speak were still capable of using swear words."
5. Sweary Words Instead of Fisticuffs. Profanity provides an evolutionary advantage that can protect us from physical harm, say researchers. Swearing allows us to symbolically express our aggressive emotions without resorting to physical confrontation.
"In other words, I can show someone the finger or say 'F**k you' from across the street. I don't have to engage with them," clarifies the study's author.
6. Swearing is a universal language. Almost every language in the world contains swear words. What makes the use of profanity so powerful? It's the power of taboo, of course.
"It seems as soon as you have a taboo word and an emotional awareness that this word will cause discomfort to other people, the rest seems to come naturally," says the scientist.
But it's not just humans who swear. Even primates do it when necessary. Wild chimpanzees, for example, typically use their excrement as a social signal designed to keep others at a distance.
All these studies don't mean that we should swear whenever we feel like it, regardless of our surroundings or the feelings of others. But it does mean that you can relax a bit the next time you accidentally let out a curse word.