No sh1t einsteins!!

The curse of tolerating pain

SWEARING can lessen the feeling of physical pain, scientists have discovered.

Volunteers withstood pain for longer when they swore compared with when they used anodyne words, in a study at Keele University in the English Midlands.

Dr Richard Stephens, who led the study at the university's school of psychology, believes it may explain why most languages contain swear words.

"It could be part of the flight or fight response," Dr Stephens said.

"The volunteers who swore had an elevated heart rate, so it could be increasing their aggression levels.

"Increased aggression has been shown to reduce sensitivity to pain, so it could be that swearing helps this process."

The researchers asked 64 students to submerge their hand in a tub of ice water while repeating swear words.

They carried out the task again while repeating non-offensive words.

Volunteers who swore kept their hands submerged for an average of 40 seconds longer.

Questioned about their perceived pain, they rated it as being lower. The researchers also measured the volunteers' heart rate and found that it increased while swearing.

"Swearing is an emotional form of language and it is an almost universal human linguistic phenomenon," Dr Stephens said.

"When my wife was in labour with our daughter she felt the need to F and blind at one point, but was very apologetic afterwards.

"The midwife said they were used to that kind of language on the delivery ward, so it got me thinking.

"Our research shows one potential reason why swearing has developed and why it persists."

TELEGRAPH