Why do we swear during physical exertion? And why does this behavior actually give us more energy to overcome fatigue? Original research, published in the magazine American Psychologistrevealed for the first time the reasons, which are three: saying swear words in those moments reduces our inhibitory brakes, freeing up resources for physical energy. It helps to concentrate on the task we are performing. And it increases our self-confidence.
the research. These are the conclusions reached by a group of British psychologists, led by Richard Stephens, by carrying out an experiment with 182 volunteers. The participants, with an average age of 26 years, were asked to perform an (apparently) bizarre exercise: sit on a chair, lift their body by leveraging their arms resting on the seating surface and maintain that position for as long as possible. During the effort, the volunteers were asked to let off steam by shouting a word: in a first session they could only say a neutral one (“table”), in the second session they could instead shout a swear word of their choice.
Result: those who shouted a harmless word remained in the raised position for 25.36 seconds; those who cursed managed to last 2.61 seconds longer. Swear words increased strength by about 10%. A result that is not miraculous, but tangible.
NATURAL DOPING. This is not the first time that research has revealed the physical power of swear words. In recent years, Professor Stephens had discovered that swearing increased physical strength by 8% (volunteers were asked to swear while pedaling on an exercise bike and gripping spring-loaded clamps). A sort of natural doping. And also a painkiller (hypoalgesic, to be precise): they help you tolerate pain better. In 2009, Stephens carried out another experiment, asking participants to immerse their hands in a bucket of ice-cold water: those who let off steam with a swear word lasted longer (30% longer) in that uncomfortable situation.
Defense mechanism or outlet? But why so many experiments on this topic? Stephens’ interest arose in 2004, when he accompanied his wife to the delivery room to assist her during the birth of their second daughter. “It was a very long and difficult labor for my wife,” says Stephens, “and towards the end her pain was such that she swore out loud. He let out a shocking series of curses during each wave of excruciating contractions.” Stephens was shocked by this reaction, but the midwife revealed to him that swearing is a constant routine in the delivery room.
“When I finally returned to my desk at Keele University School of Psychology, I wondered why people swear in response to pain. Was it a defense mechanism, an outlet for frustration, or something else? I did some literature research to find out what psychologists thought about the link between swearing and pain. To my surprise, I couldn’t find anything written on the subject.” Hence the idea of exploring it further with scientific research.
UNINHIBITED. Now, therefore, new experiments also confirm these effects: swear words give you more strength and help you tolerate pain. But how can we explain this fact? After completing the chair push-up challenge, participants answered questions about their mental state during the activity. The questions aimed to measure various mental aspects related to disinhibition, including how fun or pleasant they found the situation, and how distracted and confident they felt. The questions also included a measure of psychological “flow,” a state in which people immerse themselves in an activity in a pleasant and focused way.
The conclusions. After analyzing the results, here are the conclusions of the study: «Our interpretation is that the act of swearing causes a state of disinhibition, temporarily leading to less controlled behavior. In turn, this state of disinhibition leads to an increase in performance.”
Furthermore, swearing has other beneficial side effects: it distracts us from “brooding over the physical task”, thus promoting a freer attitude. And they increase our self-confidence, “reducing self-critical thoughts”.
And although these results apply in all situations in which physical effort is necessary, the mechanism, the authors of the study conclude, «is generalizable to other situations in which success depends on overcoming hesitation. Repeating a swear word at key moments, particularly when people feel challenged or out of their comfort zone, can serve as a strategic tool.”
In all fields. It’s not often that you read scientific research that recommends sacramenting for better results. So, should students taking an exam, or candidates facing a job interview, work hard to deal with these critical moments more effectively? Context wouldn’t help.
In fact, however, these effects explain why those who do heavy work are more inclined to swear, as evidenced by various idioms found in Italian and in many other languages: in fact, they say “swear like a longshoreman”, but also like a blacksmith, a truck driver, a sailor, a labourer…
All jobs that require great physical effort to be unleashed. But they are not the only ones: just read the lips of athletes engaged in sporting endeavors such as a football or tennis final.
