Swearing Is Good for the Economy
Thus, according to the study, swearing should no longer be seen as a symptom of a psychological condition, but rather a reaction to an external stimulus.
The study also suggested that swearing may be an evolutionary adaptation in which a person suffering unexpected pain unconsciously invokes a biological threat-response, thereby preparing themselves for a fight-or-flight event.
Perhaps swearing first emerged as a sort of verbal talisman, wherein tribal hunters or warriors gained endurance whenever one was uttered. Once the trick was learned, cursing may then have taken the status of a psychic pep-pill, and finally as an adults-only bonding practice.
Swearing is particularly remarkable in that it is often used to juxtapose otherwise sacred human concepts with their conceptually profane antagonists. For example, curses often invoke human ideals — sex, fertility, motherhood, God — in a way that explicitly perverts their original meaning. What else could be the purpose of a term like m—– f—– but to impose a shock upon the human psyche?
Somehow, an utterance that juxtaposes the sacred with the profane has the effect of imparting motivation or succor through a dulling of pain and increased endurance.
Dr. Timothy Jay of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is an expert in the psychology of swearing and the author of a number of books on the subject. According to Dr. Jay, swearing behavior is reinforced by the very social customs used to control it. In his view, the catalyst for profanity does not come from its mere invocation, but from the negative reactions of society.
What gives (bad words) power,” said Dr. Jay in an interview, “is that institutions in our culture — like religion, education and mass communication – sanction these words. And the more broadly they are sanctioned, the more power they have. And you get an ironic effect — that is, the more you ‘taboo’ it, the more powerful you make it. And so when your kid says a bad word and you punish him physically or verbally reprimand him … you’ve created an interest in (cursing).
According to Dr. Jay, the soap-in-the-mouth routine may temporarily balm the frayed wits of hapless parents, but only ends up reinforcing cursing as a rite of passage for their offspring.
Whether for social bonding, pain reduction, or ritual, “the main purpose of swearing,” wrote Dr. Jay in the Journal of Politeness, “is to express emotions, especially anger and frustration.”
Whatever the cause, cursing mixes the sacred with the profane to make an intentional hash of meaning — and to glorify the subsequent shock. It’s an infantile masturbation for adults — a self-assuring verbal friction that helps us keep our balance through the stresses of daily life. It’s a call to action that excites but never relieves. It’s a pep-pill against the cold. Whether salve or succor, cursing is a way of shoring up the ego against the potentially threatening unknown.
In the post-industrial economy, the modern practice of cursing has become the grist of sanity. It coarsens reality and makes it hurt less. And as famed British Neurologist John Hughlings Jackson once pointed up, it may also have paved the road for human civilization.
I read somewhere once that dirty words were nothing more than collections of sounds to which anxious people assign anxious meanings. Enough said!
Swearing is a sign that you have little self discipline or self control. Its like a tantrum and brands you as juvenile . People who swear are announcing themselves as vulgar and anti social.
So for the researchers who are trying once more to convince that something we instinctively know is wrong, I say,shut your foul mouth get a job.
Who pays for such rubbish in a study like this as a pathetic attempt to change behavior? What is Keele University ?
Here’s the money quote from JH Jackson which was inadvertently left out of the article:
“It has been said that he who was first to abuse his fellow-man instead of knocking out his brains without a word, laid thereby the basis of civilization”. John Hughlings Jackson, Neurologist, 1879.
BTW – I agree swearing is evidence of a lack of self control. But that doesn’t negate its apparent analgesic effect.
Being a former sailor in the U.S. Navy I had to learn how to behave in public as my language was awful. An old saying in the Navy was that a bitching sailor is a happy sailor and I believe that I was the happiest sailor in the U.S. Navy because I bitched all the time. After getting out though I had to learn to watch my choice of words and still do to this day. I am not sure if I would take this article as an excuse to slip into profane or off color language as I feel that it shows a limited vocabulary (at least to myself). When injuring myself I do admit to sometime letting a few curse words fly and they are almost involuntary and I am not sure if they even help.
I guess that if cursing works for you without any complaints from others then I suppose that is alright, but try to keep it to those that know you. I hate going to a convenience market or fast food restaurant and hearing foul language, this could be a reason that I tend to use the drive thru and certainly check the contents before driving off especially if the one taking my order seems to have difficulty with English.
With this thesis then, President Obama, Hillary Clinton, Vice President Joe Biden, Michelle Obama, Reverend Wright, Bill Ayers, Dead Fish Emmanuel, Robert Gibbs, etc al should all find their respective microphones & start yammering the expletives away so they can get us out of this recession. I have a feeling that this will not work though. No, but it would be fun to watch….
I am wondering if this would also apply to the use of acceptable curse words(darn it, dang it, fudge) or to even a barage of non-words or nonsensical phrases.
I too believe that cursing shows a loss of control, however, when you have hurt yourself, you have momentarily lost control. Also, does this particular research advocate the use of cursing in casual conversation, or only in the event of a shock either physically or mentally? I am willing to forgive the curse that comes as a shock, but to fill your daily language with cursing seems to demonstrate that you have a very limited vocabulary and/or intellect.
Profanity is ignorance made audible.
I couldn’t agree less with you puritans. I never swear around women or children, but among my buddies we banter it up pretty good. It’s good social bonding time. And as to the comments about ignorance, I’d challeng anyone of you to a game of trivial pursuit or computer jeopardy(I’m sure one of you could beat me, but not all of you, so keep patting yourselves on the back, and try not to injure yourselves).
As the book of ecclesiastes says, there’s a time for everything under heaven, and I believe that includes cussing.
Perhaps I could spell challenge a little better eh?