[Crystal Dragon]

C/P from CNN
Posted: 06:32 AM ET
By Caitlin Hagan
CNN Medical Associate Producer

OK America, I confess: Sometimes I can be a little bit of a potty mouth. (Mom, maybe this is not a great blog for you to read.) Yes, I know those dirty little words are unbecoming to some and I really should watch my language (and I really do try!) but sometimes, when I’m walking through my condo and I stub my baby pinky toe on a table leg and the pain takes my breath away and brings tears to my eyes and makes me freeze with my foot mid-air in ridiculous pain….well, I can’t be held accountable for anything four-lettered I may say. (D**n it!)
Thankfully, Dr. Richard Stephens and his team at Keele University in the United Kingdom just published a study that says swearing actually has a pain-lessening effect. (See Mom? It’s healthy!) When we swear, we increase our threshold for pain, meaning we can bear it longer and don’t feel it as much. Stephens is not sure why this happens, only that for some reason, “swearing appears to increase our pain tolerance.”
Like those moments when I stub my toe, Stephens came up with the idea to study this after he accidentally whacked his finger with a hammer. “I swore a bit and then around the same time, our daughter was born. My wife swore throughout her labor…and the midwife said don’t worry about it, we hear that language all the time.” Not surprising, says clinical psychologist Paula Bloom. “From my own experience of giving birth without drugs to a 9 pound, 11 ounce child, I can imagine I had quite the little truck driver vocabulary going on.”
For the study, Stephens asked the participants to submerge one hand in nearly freezing water for as long as they could while repeating a curse word. Later the participants submerged the same hand again, this time repeating a word they would use to describe a table. When people were cursing, they kept their hand in the water for 40 more seconds than they could otherwise. So what were the words that made that possible? Turns out they were different for everyone. “We decided at the outset that people would give us their own swear words,” Stephens said. “Swearing is quite personal and what one person finds extremely offensive, someone else may not find offensive at all.” That being said, the usual suspects topped the list: s**t, the F word and British slang – bollocks!
All joking aside, many people find swearing to be incredibly distasteful, regardless of when or why it happens. Bloom thinks this study may change that. “This removes the morality piece about language. We’re so quick to judge and sometimes our judgment interferes with science. We’re walking around thinking [swearing] is a bad thing…it’s not really.” Stephens agrees. “Swearing has gotten very bad publicity– it’s a negatively construed thing. But the positive aspect of it is swearing self-regulates our emotions. It can have a beneficial effect.”
What do you think? Is swearing helpful or distasteful?

[fossil112]

Swearing is not needed. A few years back, I began substituting "natural" words for swear words. For instance, "fish" or "face" instead of "f#ck". Or "ish" insead of "sh!t".
When these words are substituted for long enough periods, the results are the same as using the original swear words. It's a matter of tricking your brain, and respecting others around you.

[jc7257]

All I can say is Mr. Richard Stephens is a IDIOT. Children learn from there parents. If cursing is in your vocabulary, don't get mad when your child embarrasses you in front of your Pastor. OH! wait a minute, people that normally talk this way don't know what a pastor is. No, it's not where the cows graze. I never really understood why any one uses this type language. Never seen anybody get bigger or smarter from it. Just my opinion, not confessing to be an angel, but living right will open the right gate in due time...

[zekester]

Phuck that!!!!
Most peope who sware know what a pastor is JC, cheesewhiz. My parents didn't teach me to sware, peers my friend.
.
Remember most wars are religious, and I'd much rather they all sware than go to war. Six degrees of separation was used for that one.

[Crystal Dragon]

Guys...
this was only posted because of the CNN report.
This is just to show, that much like exposing today's kids to repetitive violence, like that in today's video games, they grow unaware of how desensitized they are to it.
Yes, you do not NEED to swear... but people do it all the time.
A lot of times, people do not even realize what they are saying unless someone records them or points it out.
As Zeke said, when your peers do it, you do it to become "cool", so you will fit in.

Please accept my utmost apologies if I have in any way offended anyone with this post. It was only meant to show what they are even studying to make a report on, which in this instance, it was a waste of their time.

CD

[Victor Hugo]

Thanks Crystal for the information, Keep them coming.

[SLY-CAT]

Originally Posted by jc7257

All I can say is Mr. Richard Stephens is a IDIOT. Children learn from there parents. If cursing is in your vocabulary, don't get mad when your child embarrasses you in front of your Pastor. OH! wait a minute, people that normally talk this way don't know what a pastor is. No, it's not where the cows graze. I never really understood why any one uses this type language. Never seen anybody get bigger or smarter from it. Just my opinion, not confessing to be an angel, but living right will open the right gate in due time...

: thumb:
Meow.