How cursing helps reduce pain, here's what scientists have discovered

If you've ever hit your little finger on the leg of a chair or bed, you can imagine how painful it can be, Ukr.Media reports.

Usually, a person's first reaction to sudden pain is a stream of well-chosen insults, often obscene. Have you ever wondered why?

Psychologist Richard Stephens at the University of Kildare in the UK, having cursed profusely after accidentally hitting his fingers with a hammer, decided to conduct an experiment and find out the nature of the “dirty swearing” phenomenon.

The scientist recruited 65 volunteers to participate in the experiment. However, he did not hit their fingers with a hammer, but simply asked them to hold their hand in a bucket of ice water for as long as possible. At the same time, one part of the volunteers was allowed to swear without holding back their expressions, while the other subjects had to endure the cold in silence.

It turned out that those who swore during the experiment, on average, endured pain 50% longer than the “silent” ones.

According to scientists, swearing helps trigger specific emotional reactions that stimulate the release of adrenaline, which reduces the perception of pain.

But you shouldn't abuse this “life hack.” The more often you swear, the less “pain-relieving” the swearing will be.

Джерело: Source