Do you have a buddy who is often dropping the F-bomb when telling a tale or yelling the S-bomb in frustration? Let’s face it, you’re that friend, aren’t you? It’s all right; science is on your side: recent studies show you to be trustworthy and smart.
HONESTY
When you think about it, the times you swear are the times when you are freely expressing yourself. When you stub your toe on your coffee table, it feels liberating to shout a swear word at the top of your lungs since you are conveying genuine pain and displeasure. This is supported by science.
Scientists investigated Facebook statuses in the research “Frankly, We Do Give a Damn: The Relationship Between Profanity and Honesty” and discovered a link between the use of swear words and the frequency of using personal pronouns and phrases to communicate sentiments. They also interviewed them in a lab environment and asked them what their favorite swear words were before subjecting them to a lie detector test. Those who had a longer list of swear words performed better on the test.
HUMOR
Most public usage of banned words are not in rage; they are benign or create positive repercussions (e.g., laughter elicitation), wrote Timothy Jay and Kristin Janschewitz in The Observer, a publication issued by the Association for Psychological Science. In “Why We Curse: A Neuro-Psycho-Social Theory of Speech,” Timothy Jay explores filthy jokes and claims that individuals swear to generate laughter.
It’s possible that folks who cuss just can’t find a better word for what they’re trying to say. Yet, study discovered that persons who swear speak more fluently. According to Kristin and Timothy Jay’s study “Taboo Word Fluency and Knowledge of Slurs and General Pejoratives: Deconstructing the Poverty-Of-Vocabulary Myth,” there is a positive association between taboo word fluency and general fluency.
More information may be found in the video below.
Are you a frequent swearer? So, the next time someone accuses you of cursing, just show them this article. Better still, forward it to your loved ones as a precaution.
