Go ahead. You know you want to. Just open your mouth and burst a nice long stream of curse words. Say all the ones especially that you were punished for saying as a kid. Those are the best ones of all.
Sure, we can still follow the suggestions of polite society, but we know when and where we can get away with a little occasional potty mouth. Take advantage of it.
Science has been showing for years now that using curse words makes a surprising impact on the body. It may seem like a stretch to believe, but choice words spoken under the right circumstances have the ability to improve stamina, strength, and even has pain-relieving properties. Swearing reduces inflammation in our bodies and lowers the production of stress hormones.
So go for it. Be naughty. Be daring. Let it all hang out. It’s good for you.
Why do you suppose that these reactions occur? No one knows for sure. Perhaps it’s a vestige of evolution, but what were the swear words of early humans?
The benefit probably corresponds with our feelings about the taboo rather than the words themselves. Words only have the value a culture gives them. Feeling naughty is a recognition of having been restrained. It feels good to let go. What is happening in the body when pressure is suddenly relieved? What does it feel like when you’ve been carrying someone on your shoulders and then put them down? What does it feel like when the wall we have been pushing against suddenly falls? That is the sensation which heals. That is the emotional state we are seeking when we swear.
Why do we swear when we stub our toe? Because it’s faster than a bandage. It’s a release of pressure and a rush of positive chemicals to fill the vacuum. Second only to a mother’s kiss. The taboo value of the words creates a heightened physical release. But that value is entirely personal. What is offensive to one, can be a term of endearment to another.
Swearing in excess can be a sign of something darker, of course. A need to compulsively tap into that same power of release, strength and pain-relief. The anger behind a curse can be very revealing if we listen honestly. Amid a vulgar stream there often lies a deeper message. Hear me. Notice me. These are the only words I know which relieve the pain.
Blue language can become a shield, a barrier to relationship. Words matter in every regard. What are the words we are saying and when? When does the scale tip toward our use of words as daggers? Use words carefully. They are powerful.
Like every potentially healing compound known on earth, they can be used for harm as well as good. Swearing can bring health benefits, but also show us where healing has yet to begin. Listen honestly. To both your words and the words of others. They can mean many things. But all are toward the desire to be healed.
To what ideals do you belong? If they are healing, move toward that. Your words will know what to do. If your ideology is loving, it listens and hears the words but also the heart beneath them.
F, yeah, it does.
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