Profanity Paradox

As children we’re taught that cursing, even when we’re in pain, is inappropriate, betrays a limited vocabulary or is somehow low class in that ambiguous way many cultural lessons suggest. But profanity serves a physiological, emotional and social purpose — and it’s effective only because it’s inappropriate.

“The paradox is that it’s that very act of suppression of the language that creates those same taboos for the next generation,” said Benjamin K. Bergen, author of “What the F: What Swearing Reveals About Our Language, Our Brains and Ourselves.” He calls this the “profanity paradox.”

The paradox is that profane words are powerful only because we make them powerful. Without their being censored, all of the words we designate by a first letter and “-word” would just be average terms.

In his experiment, Dr. Stephens asked subjects to come up with a list of words, including swear words, that they might use if they hit their thumb with a hammer. Then they were asked to come up with a list of neutral words to describe a chair (like wooden, for example). He then asked them to submerge a hand in ice water for as long as they could, while repeating a word from either list: a swear word or a neutral one.

Participants who repeated a swear were able to keep their hand submerged in the ice water for almost 50 percent longer than those who repeated a neutral word. Not only that, swearing also made participants feel like the pain wasn’t as intense. Researchers concluded that swearing had the effect of reducing sensitivity to pain. Who knew four letters could be so soothing?

“For pain relief, swearing seems to trigger the natural ‘fight or flight’ stress response, as well as increased adrenaline and heart pumping,” Dr. Stephens said in an email. “This leads to stress-induced analgesia — being more tolerant of pain.”

Good idea, swearing is great 🙂 Perhaps my time in Oz is rubbing off but it’s refreshing to hear f- and more in meetings as apt descriptive terms for whats going on and the pain relif part is just a bonus, so go on it’s Friday drop soe bombs in work today 🙂

I enjoy swearing. I also enjoy being loquacious when the opportunity arises, Tommy Tiernan put it best –

“The english language is a brick wall, and **** is my sledgehammer”

I told myself I wasn’t going to read that load of old shit. But then calling it a load of old shit meant I was able to be bothered to read it.

Hmmm.

Last week I taught my two boys the lyrics to ‘Do your balls hang low?’ which includes the word bollocks and now I’m in the shit with my wife. Does Dr Stephens have any advice for this scenario?

Support the theses, but support politeness more.

Swearing is great! When done with style. To quote Charlie Brooker in his great article about the professionally offended

gratuitous offence, when performed with aplomb, is the funniest thing in the world. There’s more unpretentious joie de vivre in a single issue of vintage-era Viz than most artists or singers manage in a lifetime.

I taught my son that swear words are special words to be used in extreme situations, and that casual use of them devalues them. That leaves us reaching for even more extreme profanities when the dung hits the fan. He and his friends settled on calling people ‘low-fat yoghurts’ as an insult and it worked (for 10 year olds).
So I guess I agree with the book.

Personally I’m not a fan. The odd c-bomb, when delivered appropriately of course, but in general no. 🙂

Where I work, it’s not swearing. It’s punctuation.

and breath Dr…
That one is worth finding headphones for…
I have an articulate use of a c bomb coming if my flight gets any later tonight

I still remember John Emburey, England cricketer from the 80’s on being asked the state of his finger after being hit. Delivered a perfectly grammatically correct sentence using only basically the same word repeated four times….

effin’ effer’s effin’ effed.

(OK, 5 really if you count effer’s as effer is. And there’s no definite or indefinite article either, but he had just been hit on the hand by a cricket ball so I’ll let him off that)

There are people in our sales team who are only alive because I can vent via profanity.

Swearing it brilliant, I LOVE swearing – but it has to be used sparingly – like Marmite a little goes a long way.

There are few things sadder to me than when someone has over-spent their swearing allowance it’s become so everyday it’s lost all meaning and they don’t even notice they’re doing it anymore so they have to double swear when they REALLY need to say something – the Effing, effing thing has broken.

It can be bonding to, you don’t swear in ‘polite company’ or in a ‘business situation’ but you will with your friends, swearing in front of people (as long as they’re not stuck up types) can break down more barriers than a million handshakes.

Swearing Is Actually a Sign of More Intelligence – Not Less – Say Scientists

https://www.sciencealert.com/swearing-is-a-sign-of-more-intelligence-not-less-say-scientists

I think I remember watching something along time ago, with Stephen Fry and Brian Blessed, similar experiment, but Fry, who hardly ever swears, could hold his hands in cold water for longer than Brian Blessed who swears all the time, when they were allowed to swear. Basically the conclusion was that if you don’t swear much in life, when you do it’s way more effective, than if you swear all the time, which seems to remove the power of it. which kind of makes sense, as it means that it’s just another word, rather than a “taboo” word.

Although even knowing all this, I still swear more than most of my American colleges…

Almost a pre-requisite for working where I do!
F- C- and S**t (and variants) are our go to’s for most situations 😀

I always think someone’s lost an argument when they swear. No need for it and no excuse for it. People swear when they don’t have the intelligence to think of a normal word to say, or don’t have the self control not to say anything at all.

The Profanity Paradox

You’re f***ed if you do, and you’re f***ed if you don’t?

I always think someone’s lost an argument when they swear. No need for it and no excuse for it. People swear when they don’t have the intelligence to think of a normal word to say, or don’t have the self control not to say anything at all.

Do you think people only swear when arguing?It can be jubilant or celibratory.

Your a good C
is a fav around here, it’s term of endeering affection and respect.

Worst of all is those that have to fumble for another word

I always think someone’s lost an argument when they swear.

I don’t tend to swear in arguments.

People swear when they don’t have the intelligence to think of a normal word to say, or don’t have the self control not to say anything at all

Disagree totally. “Normal” words only cover normal ranges of emotions and situations. If something has happened beyond normal, I want to have words that show this.

At the end of a 7 day bike event, I wasn’t “extremely tired”, “exhausted”, “utterly knackered”. Those terms weren’t enough. Instead I could use a single word that accurately conveyed the depth of my feelings and was clearly understood by those I was talking to.

Why should I limit my vocabulary? Seems a rather unintelligent thing to do.

I enjoy a good swear but not for swearing’s sake. I will also drop a C-bomb if the occasion* or person** warrants it.

* usually involving someone’s atrocious (selfish) parking

** see *