If you need more excuses to swear, here are five reasons to swear more that are all backed by science!
1. It can be a sign of intelligence. A study in 2015 found people who mix it up and use lots of DIFFERENT swear words tend to have better language skills in general.
2. People who swear a lot might be more honest. A study in 2017 found links between honesty and how much we swear. Also, people tend to SEE you as more honest if you drop a few choice words sometimes.
3. It increases your pain tolerance. Researchers had people dunk their hand in ice-cold water and keep it there. And the ones who swore were able to keep their hands in longer than people who yelled things like “shoot” or “darn.”
4. It’s a sign of creativity. Swear words tend to be handled by the right side of your brain, or the “creative” side. Sometimes people who have a stroke on that side stop swearing completely, even if they used to swear a lot.
5. Throwing expletives is better than throwing punches. Some experts think we’ve evolved to swear because it’s a less risky way to vent. In other words, punching someone is dangerous. Swearing at them from across the street is less dangerous. But you still get to express the same emotions.
