If you swear properly, then you will increase your self-confidence and willingness to take risks. It will also increase your physical strength.
Psychologists from Keele University (UK) conducted two experiments1: 56 volunteers took part in the first, and 118 volunteers in the second. For what? Scientists wanted to find out how the utterance of swear words affects the physical and psychological state of a person.
During the experiments, the participants performed various physical strength tasks. For example, they did push-ups while sitting in a chair — they straightened their arms resting on the handrails and so lifted their body weight above the seat — and uttered either a neutral monologue or swear words aloud. In the same mode, the participants passed the test for risky behavior (they inflated the balloon to the limit so that it did not burst) and the test for emotions.
As a result of the study, it was found that swearing:
makes a person physically stronger — by uttering curses, the participants could do push-ups longer,
increases our propensity to take risks — the duration of inflating a balloon increased by an average of 8% if the participant cursed at the same time,
gives positive emotions and self-confidence.
What underlies such a positive effect? The researchers concluded that it was all about the feeling of liberation associated with the use of the mat. That is, in reducing self-control and removing internal prohibitions.
By swearing, a person experiences and expresses strong feelings, which allows him to let go of the situation. This frees him from internal fears and anxieties, makes him freer, stronger and «reckless», psychologists explain.
But the most powerful psychological factor, thanks to which the mat helps us cope with everyday life, scientists still consider humor. Namely, the ability of abuse to highlight the funny side of things and demonstrate the comedy of life’s collisions.
1 Article published in the journal