Swearing can help stroke victims learn to speak, reduce pain and relieve stress, docs finally confirm
Dr Emma Byrne believes swearing and cursing are an essential part of our interaction and expletives were one of the first forms of human language
SWEARING can help cure stroke victims, relieve stress, and reduce pain, a scientist claims.
Foul-mouthed rants are an essential part of interaction and expletives were one of the first forms of human language, Dr Emma Byrne says.
Studies show even chimps have invented curse words to communicate their anger.
The artificial intelligence prof learnt the importance of swearing when programming robots.
She said: “If we don’t want our future robot overlords to rise up and enslave us, we would be better off teaching them how to swear.”
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When scientists taught Washoe, a common chimpanzee, how to communicate with sign language she used the word “dirty” to swear at people.
This prevented her throwing real excrement when she was enraged, Dr Bryne said.
The research scientist at Queen Mary University, London, argues turning the air blue is “both big and clever” because it prevents us turning to violence.
Medics also use dirty words to help reduce physical pain and allow patients to deal with their emotions.
In one study, subjects were able to keep their hands plunged in freezing cold water half as long again if they were allowed to shout expletives.
Stroke victims also use swearing to recover their language and Dr Byrne says that is because it is an “essential” part of human communication.
But it is still taboo even among patients, and she says female cancer sufferers who use foul language to talk about their disease end up with fewer friends.
Dr Byrne says swearing should not become “commonplace” because it will lose its impact, but it must be “accepted more”.
Another study by Dr Richard Stephens earlier this year found that expletives can boost sportsmen’s performance.
It showed those who swore improved by up to 8.2per cent as it helped to distract from the pain of intense exercise.
Swearing Is Good For You: The Amazing Science Of Bad Language is out in November.