Science You Can Use: Swear Your Brains Out

Every now and then here at TSB Mag we have a duty to society to spread the latest scientific news to the masses. So when I stumbled upon this study performed at Britain?s Keele University, I knew I had to get on my virtual soapbox and deliver the news. The study, in short, reminds us all of the positive effects of swearing your fucking brains out.

According to the researchers, when you use profanity in a moment of pain you are actually able to lessen the sensation you?re experiencing at that moment:

Their study involved 64 volunteers who were each asked to put their hand in a tub of ice water for as long as possible while repeating a swear word of their choice.

They then repeated the experiment using a more commonplace word that they would use to describe a table.

The researchers found the volunteers were able to keep their hands in the ice water for a longer when swearing, establishing a link between swearing and an increase in pain tolerance.

So remember, kids. Next time you stub your toe, or jam your finger in a door, or are getting pummeled in your ill-advised debut in the MMA octagon, feel free to say a few S-words, or F-words, or Mother-F words, or whatever your cuss word of choice is. (Mine, personally, is the rare Mother-F-C-F-S-word.) When you do so, you?re not being crass or unprofessional. You?re just using your body?s built-in defense mechanism.