Have you ever felt a twinge of guilt after you have sworn or used “bad language”? Well, don’t! Science shows that swearing is a useful social skill that allows us to bond with people and establish strong relationships with them.
According to a multilevel study conducted by a collaborative team from Maastricht University in the Netherlands, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, as well as Stanford and Cambridge University, foul-mouthed people tend to have lower deception levels and higher integrity at a personal as well as a societal level. Therefore, although society frowns on the swearing behavior, people who swear generally make good friends, committed and loyal partners, and great parents.
The results of the study indicate, the authors argue, that when people swear and let loose with a string of obscenities they tend to let off steam and so they are less likely to harm themselves or others when under pressure. Furthermore, swearing is an honest and unrestrained representation of what one feels. That’s why people who swear are honest and make good friends.
In the same vein, previous studies have shown that swearing is good for our health in that it acts as an effective pain relief method. This is not to mean that you should throw profane words on everyone you meet in the streets to stay healthy. We would strongly advise you to exercise caution and swear only when appropriate. The people in this study are the ones with a rather colorful vocabulary but they do not purposefully swear at people, they just tend to use swear words in their spoken or written language more than others.
