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Swearing Provides Pain Relief, Say Scientists

Hugh Pickens writes "Scientific American reports that although cursing is notoriously decried in the public debate, scientists have discovered that swearing may serve an important function in relieving pain. 'Swearing is such a common response to pain that there has to be an underlying reason why we do it,' says Richard Stephens of Keele University in England. A study measured how long college students could keep their hands immersed in cold water. During the chilly exercise, they could repeat an expletive of their choice or chant a neutral word. When swearing, the 67 student volunteers reported less pain and on average endured about 40 seconds longer. How swearing achieves its physical effects is unclear, but the researchers speculate that brain circuitry linked to emotion is involved. Earlier studies have shown that unlike normal language, which relies on the outer few millimeters in the left hemisphere of the brain, expletives hinge on evolutionarily ancient structures buried deep inside the right half like the amygdala, an almond-shaped group of neurons that can trigger a fight-or-flight response in which our heart rate climbs and we become less sensitive to pain."

9 of 230 comments (clear)

  1. I call bullshit... by catthedd · · Score: 5, Funny

    I call bullshit...

    1. Re:I call bullshit... by Idbar · · Score: 3, Funny

      i was in fact talking about this with a friend recently. I went to one of those studies, where they put one of my feet in ice cold water. I didn't say a single word and the guy making the study told me how I was the one to least complain. Later on I told him I would probably would have complained more if it weren't because of the hot girl he had assiting him (and holdibg the bucket where my foot was in). So, who knows.

  2. SLOW FUCKING JAVASCRIPT by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Fucking shit, the Javascript on this fucking site is too fucking slow. Seriously. It's fucking horrible. Tons of pauses for no apparent reason for simple fucking basic tasks like showing a text box, sitting there and mocking you. They're laughing at you because you think it's bullshit but you stick around for it. End this madness! AHH MAKE THE DELAYS STOP!! Maybe my swearing will relieve the pain of fucking poorly coded JS.

    1. Re:SLOW FUCKING JAVASCRIPT by hattig · · Score: 5, Funny

      +1 Motherfucking Truth

  3. Effectiveness for emotional stress? by BadAnalogyGuy · · Score: 5, Funny

    Physical pain is easily overcome through the use of drugs. It is also controllable through meditation and other mind-tricks which move the focus of the mind and body from the pain to something else.

    But what about emotional pain? Should I keep calling her and swearing at her until I feel better? I don't feel better so far.

  4. Re:Well #@%$ me. by cayenne8 · · Score: 3, Funny
    If this study is true, that must mean I'm one of the most 'pain free' people I know.

    :)

    --
    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
  5. Re:It's not complicated. by Scrameustache · · Score: 4, Funny

    Swearing out loud in front of other people can carry some baggage and consequence. It's risky social behavior.

    Only if you dick around fucking prudes.

    --

    You can't take the sky from me...

  6. Re:Hm... by karnal · · Score: 4, Funny

    Or when you're getting that really hot stove out of the oven

    Yo dawg, I herd you like stoves, so I put a stove in your oven so you could cook while you cook!

    --
    Karnal
  7. test #1: by circletimessquare · · Score: 3, Funny

    serenity now serenity now serenity now serenity now serenity now serenity now serenity now serenity now serenity now serenity now serenity now serenity now serenity now serenity now serenity now serenity now serenity now serenity now serenity now serenity now serenity now serenity now serenity now serenity now serenity now

    hmmm

    test #2:

    FUCK!

    no... same relief, just faster

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it