The Halcyonite

By Ezra

’25

The act of swearing is generally a taboo, something seen as childish, and uneducated. But research, science, and general human sense would argue the opposite.

To begin, I would like to highlight what exactly I classify as a swear word for this article; at no point will I at all be referring to execrations that hold such power as the ones used to discriminate against any minority group. I am not an authority on the concepts and therefore will not pretend to hold any expertise. On a counter note, I do use the English language’s more tame profanities—not relating to demeaning people based on their identities—quite often, and I have experienced backlash as such, so I am not without experience.

A study published in the Journal of Pain in 2011 by researchers at Keele University found that swearing can be used to initiate your body’s flight response, releasing a surge of adrenaline. That adrenaline can allow your body to take more pain, meaning that swearing essentially triggers your body’s in-built painkiller.

Dr. Kyle Zrenchik Ph.D., a registered therapist and sexologist from the US, summed this up nicely “What a tremendous gift we have: no pills, no side effects, no copays. We have a totally natural, free, and readily accessible way to take the edge off of things, even if just a bit.”

Now, considering the scientifically proven benefits of dirty words, is it logical to see swearing as something taboo? Is it equitable to attempt to withhold such a beneficial tool from the public?

I’m not asking people to swear more, nor do I want to encourage swearing. I am merely attempting to sway the public’s persistent stigmatization of profane language. 

The above example of swearing’s advantageous effects on the release of adrenaline is perhaps the least utilized benefit for the simple fact that we don’t often find ourselves in a situation where it is needed. Sure, swearing can help tremendously when you bang your knee or knock your elbow, but these are not common occurrences. What about the benefits of swearing on an emotional level?

Dr. Raffaello Antonino Ph.D., a counseling psychologist and the director and founder of London-based psychological clinic Therapy Central stated: “Swearing can have a truly liberating effect when we’re feeling bottled up with frustration. Saying the F-word, or similar can have an immediate calming impact on the difficult emotions we might be experiencing.”

PsychCentral published an article that detailed the different avenues that cussing takes to be beneficial. The article stated that swearing acts as a non-violent way of taking out aggression. Often, the body’s inbuilt reaction is to turn towards a physical reaction to express anger, PsychCentral called it “traditional violence”. 

As radical an opinion as it may be, I strongly prefer the, perhaps constant, use of swearing over the build-up of suppressed negative emotions, which may lead to some sort of physical response.

Another Benefit that PsychCentral named was social bonding. Swearing’s supposed power over those who choose to take offense can mean swearing amongst one’s friends can be seen as an act of familiarity.

Michael Adams, a linguist and teacher of language and literature at Indiana University published a book called In Praise of profanity, in which he wrote: “Bad words are unexpectedly useful in fostering human relations because they carry risk… We like to get away with things and sometimes we do so with like-minded people.” 

As someone who swears most often amongst friends, I can attest to the legitimacy of this claim. I am not alone in my rarely censored expressions, not by a long shot, almost anyone I interact with daily uses such vocables as I, whether it be in conversation, in excited utterance, or momentous affairs. In confidence, I divulge my assurance in the veracity of saying that such a shared acceptance of common profanities has furthered my social relationships with those I consider my closest confidants.

PsychCentral shared a few other physical benefits of swearing, including the more passive increase in both serotonin and endorphin levels of those who swear. They also cited profanity as a coping mechanism, again following what Michael Adams wrote about how “we like to get away with things”. Swearing brings a slight feeling of power over your current situation by taking advantage of the habitual denunciation of such idioms. Getting away with something so slight as saying a word deemed “dirty” can make us feel as if we have achieved a sort of triumph, therefore providing a bolster in our endorphin levels.

I would next like to raise my personal favorite of arguments towards my cause, which is the scientific evidence that those who swear often contain a larger vocabulary and understanding of the English language than those who don’t. American Psychologists Kristen and Timothy Jay published a study in 2015, examining a group of adults aged 18-22; they found that the individuals who swore had increased vocal abilities over the group who chose to remain consistent with the world’s opinion on words proscribed. The paper they published stated that: “Speakers who use taboo words understand their general expressive content as well as nuanced distinctions that must be drawn to use slurs appropriately.” Essentially, those who swear hold the cognitive ability to use vocabulary in the way it is meant.

If I were to go without addressing the counterargument to my reasoning, I would be direly remiss in my attempt at logic. To do so I will bring your attention to the former CEO of Yahoo!, Carol Bartz. Bartz was infamous for her use of swearing, both in the workplace and out. She was known to incite the f-word in interviews and whilst managing her company, and, as such she faced heavy criticism. This point is often brought up by those who want to combat the notion that swearing is something more than just a childish attempt at attention. Writer Monica Harel used Bartz as an introduction to her article titled Why Swearing is a Bad Habit – Swearing Affects your Mental Health, in the article Harel claims that Bartz’s swearing contributed to her being fired from the tech giant Yahoo!. The reason she claimed is that swearing makes people think ill of you, all the critics who rampaged against Bartz, all the critics she received, and all the apologies or reforms she refused to undertake led to her dismissal. I would like to respond to this by pointing out the fact that if swearing were seen as something less taboo than it is, would this be an issue? Harel claims that we should stop swearing, because of people’s opinions of us, and how it may affect our future. While this may be true in the short term, why shouldn’t we begin to combat the norm? Why shouldn’t we begin to fight for a world where words we want to say are banned or condemned solely because they offend those who choose to allow themselves to be offended?

Frankly, it doesn’t seem fair.

A word holds only as much power as it is allowed. At the end of the day, they are just a thought, a concept, some ink on paper. We give them the ability to incite such reactions as they do.

But I do not wish to combat this. Rather, I want to live in a world where I can swear amongst my friends, in places where the only ones who can hear me are adult enough to handle them, without being condemned.

If I am granted this respect of free speech, then I am more than prepared to return it. I have no intention of swearing amidst children aged too young, or in a place of worship, as I understand that lines must be drawn. However, our current boundaries have stayed still whilst the English language and culture have never stopped advancing.

You may have noticed that, throughout this piece, which focuses entirely on explaining the benefits of s wearing, I did not swear once. In fact, I went out of my way to refer to curses in groups, saying “idioms” or “expressions”. I consciously chose this path because I am aware of my setting, and the context within. There are always appropriate and inappropriate places and times to speak as you wish, and to truly draw the most accurate map of these borders we must reach some level of compromise. I will not swear amongst sixth-grade students at the school I go to, but in return, I ask that you not attack my use of terms when I am amongst my peers, in a place of appropriate context.

I will end this with an addressed fallacy, I could go through my life reciting curses at every possible interval, but I don’t.  In return, I am awarded the occasional get-out-of-jail-free cards when I swear in appropriate settings. I will be warned once, maybe twice, before I am in some way or another reprimanded for speaking with my friends.

I see no justice in this. It is nobody’s right but my own to manage how I speak.

Works Cited

Delgado, Kasia. “Swearing Can Be Good for Social Bonding at Work as Well as Helping Us Get through Pain.” Inews.co.uk, 25 Nov. 2020, inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/wellbeing/swearing-social-bonding-workplace-explained-pain-daily-life-772071.

Harel, Monica Corcoran. “What The &%$@?” ELLE, 23 Jan. 2013, www.elle.com/beauty/health-fitness/advice/a2495/bad-habit-swearing/.

Jay, Kristin L., and Timothy B. Jay. “Taboo Word Fluency and Knowledge of Slurs and General Pejoratives: Deconstructing the Poverty-of-Vocabulary Myth.” Language Sciences, vol. 52, Nov. 2015, pp. 251–59, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.langsci.2014.12.003.

Stillman, Jessica. “8 Unexpected Signs You’re Smarter than Average.” INC.com, 2016, http://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/8-unexpected-signs-you-re-smarter-than-average.html.

—. “The Science of Swearing: Your Filthy Mouth Helps You Make Friends.” INC.com, 2016, http://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/science-if-you-want-to-bond-with-someone-swear-at-them.html.

“Swearing Can Actually Be Good for Your Health.” Healthline, 3 Feb. 2021, http://www.healthline.com/health-news/dont-watch-your-mouth-swearing-can-actually-be-good-for-your-health#Swearing-can-help-us-better-cope-with-overwhelming-emotions-too.

Waters, Emily. “The Surprising Health Benefits of Swearing.” Psych Central, 30 Aug. 2017, psychcentral.com/blog/the-surprising-health-benefits-of-swearing#1.

Zimmerman, Daniel J., and Theodore A. Stern. “Offensive Language in the General Hospital.” Psychosomatics, vol. 51, no. 5, 2010, pp. 377–85, https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.psy.51.5.377.

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