"Not only does swearing increase pain tolerance, it increases strength too," writes Jennie Ridyard
Someone once asked Himself, an author, why his books don’t contain sex scenes. “Because my mother is still alive,” he replied, only half-joking.
And that is why I don’t swear: because my mother is still alive.
I may say bloody, but only at cocktail time when it directly precedes Mary.
I may say ass, but only when talking about donkeys. I may even call people ice-holes and cake-suckers and jolly naughty chaps.
But full-blown cursing? No sir, not me. None of your filth will pass these delicate lips. Or rather – full disclosure – I don’t swear in front of my mother.
But when she’s not around, well, given the impetus, then golly gee and goodness gracious me… “You kiss your mother with that mouth?” asks Himself.
Naturally, I call him a rude word. As anybody who’s ever tried it knows, sometimes dropping a well-chosen cuss bomb, or even a lazy, badly-handled one, is the only thing that gets the job done.
And now, hell yeah, scientists have shown that swearing can be good for you.
They say it’s like a performance-enhancing drug without the side effects – apart from risking a slap across the head from your mother.
Apparently, it’s particularly useful when you’re doing something physical and need to harness your every ounce of strength.
They know this after test subjects on exercise bikes, or with a hand in iced water, were able to push themselves to the limit when repeating a juicy swearword.
Not only does swearing increase pain tolerance, it increases strength too – which is why the baddies in movies don’t go “bedknobs and broomsticks” as they’re beating the bejaysus out of each other.
As chief researcher Richard Stephens puts it: “Swearing is an easily available way to help you feel focused, confident and less distracted, and go for it a little more.”
A good cussing lowers inhibitions, boosts self-confidence and helps get the potty-mouthed into a state of flow.
It’s “literally a calorie-neutral, drug-free, low-cost, readily available tool” to use when needing a performance boost, Stephens told The Guardian.
However, as it probably works simply because of the taboo nature of swearing, one should use one’s powers of profanity wisely: one must keep it taboo.
So no, I won’t be swearing in front of my mom – while hoping that, on occasion, she too explodes in expletives, just not in front of her darling daughters.
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