why swearing helps ease the pain

▼

26 August 2009, 3:14pm

according to a British study, swearing actually helps people withstand pain longer.

Richard Stephens, british pyschologist:

In swearing, people have an emotional response, and it's the emotional response that actually triggers the reduction of pain

what's interesting too is that it seems to have a greater effect for women. the people doing the study theorize this is a result of men generally swearing more in their daily lives, and thus women have a greater emotional response:

In Stephens' study, swearing reduced the perception of pain more strongly in women than in men. That may be because in daily life "men swear more than women," says Pinker, which could have the unfortunate side effect of dulling the natural painkiller.

interesting read, even if it is only to make those of us with dirty language feel better. I generally put these kinds of articles in the same category as those weekly "revolutionary" reports that sex makes everything in life better and booze helps you lose wight.

(via bentomas, original post on tsp here )