Cuss More, Live Longer: Part Two

Everybody swears. Some swear out loud, others – in their minds. Some even do it on TV, like in 2011 the Russian competitor in the Eurovision contest Alexey Vorobyov did, responding with a cuss to the announcement he made it to the finals.

Scientists at the medical and sociological school in Harvard conducted a research among 230 men and women between 20 and 35 years of age. Half of them had regularly cursed for 30 years. It turned out that this particular group of “cursers” had all chances to outlive the other group.

There is more, though. The analysis showed that relationships between men and women affect human longevity. In a marriage, if one of the spouses regularly uses unpleasant vocabulary, he or she may outlive their quiet mate with about 25 years. The reason is that swearing and cussing are able to relieve the nervous tension. In the blood of the “swearing ones” the scientists found low levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and high indicators of the joy hormone endorphin. The result also showed that women rampage verbally much more often than men which may be the reason why they live longer.

“Colorful” expressions come from the mouths of everyone- from intellectuals to workers, from old people to teenage boys and girls. With or without and occasion, some people express even their enthusiasm by swearing.

It turns out that education has nothing to do with the use of “raunchy” expressions. Cursing simply helps us go through unpleasant and difficult moments, reduces painful feelings and even takes away physical pain. This was proved by the research conducted in Great Britain. The result showed that with the increase of aggression, sensitivity to pain decreased. Exactly that’s why the habit of cursing is so ineradicable. It probably evolved in our ancestors as a way to enhance malice and turn it into means against suffering.

The most amazing fact, however, is that the tendency to obscenity has a biochemical explanation. Analysis of the blood of cursing volunteers shows that they have increased levels of endorphins which are the hormones of happiness, which act as powerful painkillers. While we swear, our organism produces huge quantities of these hormones. Besides, the colorful cusses by default are a response to adrenalin reaction, when the blood secretes the stress hormone – adrenalin. Adrenalin causes muscle contractions and narrows the blood vessels, increases the heart beat and breathing, and accelerates the process of thinking – that’s all what’s necessary to counteract to danger. Thus, this “adrenalin reaction” helped our ancestors resist during enemy attacks.

In these modern days the adrenalin reaction protects us in situations of stress.

For the rest see Parts One and Three:

Cuss more, live longer: Part One

Cuss more, live longer: Part Three