In our early childhood days, we were always taught to be kind, polite, well-behaved, and, most importantly, to use good and proper language. Swearing was strictly forbidden and considered utterly inappropriate and unacceptable. According to the social stereotype, swearing is usually linked to a lack of education, culture, and manners. Still, a recent study shed new light on this stereotype and revealed that those dirty mouths could be much more intelligent than they were initially thought to be.
The popular belief is that those who are frequently inclined to swear and curse actually lack the vocabulary to express themselves appropriately and wisely, but psychologists Kristin Joy of Marist College and Timothy Jay of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts have different opinions on this theory.
The results from their research reveal that individuals who use ‘taboo words’ are far more likely to be fluent in mundane, neutral words. They wrote that ‘People who use taboo words understand their general expressive content as well as nuanced distinctions that must be drawn to use slurs appropriately.’ ‘The ability to make nuanced distinction indicates the presence of more rather than less linguistic knowledge.’
A different study implemented a different approach and used technology to test thousands of Facebook statuses while looking for people who prefer to use juicy swear words and looking for words that indicate deception. The results showed that those with an intense vocabulary list full of swear words were more likely to be honest. Therefore, if you happen to swear like a sailor, it means that you’re sincere and smart.
In the words of the researchers, people keen on frequent swearing are more comfortable expressing themselves, which makes them more honest and genuine compared to those who avoid curse words like the plague. Let’s be honest and admit that those forbidden curse words often add color to just about any sentence, whether you are describing a feeling or opinion of someone.
According to psychologist Timothy Jay, people who curse frequently make the best kind of friends. So, we can only conclude that those with a 'sailor mouth' are better friends than others as they are genuine and trustworthy.
The psychologist also co-authored a study with Professor Kristin Janschewitz to determine a possible connection between impoliteness and swearing. 'Swearing is the use of taboo language with the purpose of expressing the speaker's emotional state and communicating that information to listeners,' the study explained. The authors explained that they did not believe that cursing should always be associated with impoliteness. Basically, the authors are encouraging people to express themselves freely and use their swear words when necessary.
These findings can all be supported by other different studies. One example is that in criminal cases, innocent suspects have a higher tendency to curse than guilty ones who deny accusations. So, if a suspect swears during testimony, he is deemed credible.
In conclusion, cursing turns out to be an acceptable habit in the end. If you happen to be criticized in the future for using the F-word by accident, don’t hesitate to defend yourself and say that you were just being sincere and smart. After all, you have all the scientific proof to back you up!
Check out this video to get more facts in detail.
