Scientists claim that “dirty-mouthed” people are more intelligent and better friends — understand why

If you're one of those people who can't resist an occasional swear word, you don't need to feel guilty. After all, science says that swearing can be a sign of intelligence. A study delved into the dark world of forbidden words and revealed why blurting out “#$**@&” can be a sign of intelligence. Understand the secrets that swear words hide and why, sometimes, fouler language can be the key to more authentic communication.

Everyone knows a potty mouth

Do you swear frequently? Do your friends often criticize you for this? Not that you should care about what others think about you, but it would be nice to have some facts up your sleeve to counter their opinion, right? The next time someone criticizes you for the way you speak, you can say that they're the one missing out, since people who swear frequently are proven to be best friends and have superior intelligence to those who don't.

Most people swear. It’s quick, straight to the point and, for the “potty-mouthed,” it’s a very natural response to many things. And, if all words have an impact, the effect that swear words have is perhaps positive. It may seem like they are typical of angry, rude and vulgar people, but the reality is that saying them all the time can promote several useful qualities in a person, including making them some of the best friends to have around, according to with research.

The power of swear words on friendship and intelligence

Teams from the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands, the University of Science and Technology of Hong Kong, and the Universities of Stanford and Cambridge conducted studies that determined that people who swear are less likely to lie and deceive others. The idea behind using swear words as a sign of an honest soul is that they are a sincere expression of one's true feelings.

After all, people swear when they are being genuine about the emotions they are experiencing in that moment. While, when people lie, they pass their words through a stricter filter, eliminating unnecessary swear words. Verbiage is a resource of speech in the heat of the moment, used as a means of exaggerating or amplifying a specific feeling. Not only anger, but also excitement, surprise, and fear often have swear words involved.
Dr. David Stillwell, lecturer in Big Data Analytics at the University of Cambridge and one of the co-authors of the study that reported the link between verbiage and honesty, explained how vulgar language can indicate sincerity. “Vabulation is often inappropriate, but it can also be evidence that someone is telling you their honest opinion. Just as they are not filtering their language to be more acceptable, they are also not filtering their opinions.”

Dirty mouths in analysis

The study itself was carried out in two parts. First, participants had to write down their favorite swear words and indicate which ones they used most. They were then connected to a lie detector and told to explain why they use these words. The detector determined whether they were telling the truth about their choices or whether they were just writing down what they thought were acceptable answers. Those who wrote more swear words were less likely to lie about their word choices.

In the second part, the researchers collected data from 75 thousand Facebook users and studied their use of swear words during interactions on the site, whether in comments or individual posts. Those who chatted the most online were also found using pronouns like 'I' and 'me' more frequently, both words associated with honesty. Well, if there's one thing that people value in a friendship, it's honesty, right?

More wisdom in every swear word

People who swear frequently are also considered more intelligent. You might even think that “dirty mouths” have a limited vocabulary, that they resort to swear words because they have no better way to express themselves. But the research indicates just the opposite. These people use different profanity to communicate, and the words used in specific situations may vary depending on the person.

Psychologists have determined that those who use a greater variety of swear words also have a higher level of verbal fluency and language skills. Anyone who swears demonstrates a strong articulation of language and a greater understanding of how these words impact their speech. They're better at choosing words that best fit what they're feeling and want to make sure they're being heard clearly, but they also want to rant while they're doing it.

More wisdom in every swear word

People who swear frequently are also considered more intelligent. You might even think that “dirty mouths” have a limited vocabulary, that they resort to swear words because they have no better way to express themselves. But the research indicates just the opposite. These people use different profanity to communicate, and the words used in specific situations may vary depending on the person.

Psychologists have determined that those who use a greater variety of swear words also have a higher level of verbal fluency and language skills. Anyone who swears demonstrates a strong articulation of language and a greater understanding of how these words impact their speech. They're better at choosing words that best fit what they're feeling and want to make sure they're being heard clearly, but they also want to rant while they're doing it.

Swearing: the unexpected relief from the pain

Furthermore, swearing has also been proven to have health benefits. More specifically, talking is an effective way to relieve pain. One study, published in Neuroreport, involved participants placing their hands in ice water and keeping them there for as long as possible. While their hands were submerged, they had the option of repeating a profanity word of their choice or a ’neutral’ word.

The chosen word had drastically different effects on the time each person was able to keep their hands in the water. The “dirty-mouthed” ones managed to keep their hands submerged on average for 47 seconds longer than the others. When tested a second time, those who swapped the neutral words from the first time with a swear word also reported feeling less pain compared to the first time.

Therefore, the leader of this study and a psychologist at the University of Keele in England, Richard Stephens, advises people not to hold back on swearing when they have been hurt, saying: “Swearing is such a common response to pain that there must be an underlying reason for we do this.”

Verbiage: the magic of real feelings

In fact, swearing not only helps with physical pain, but also with emotional pain. It has been shown that those who swear in reaction to negative emotions, such as anger or grief, are less likely to react physically, but only to a point. As we use a particular word in emotionally charged situations, it begins to lose its meaning and its comforting effect on us. So using variety or using certain words sparingly is still smart.

An invitation to talk (responsibly)

So here it is! Now you have complete freedom to say as many bad words as you want and know that you are a better person for it. Those who have the highest morals regarding words and their “education” imposed by society can also go on with their lives, although, let’s be honest, the “dirty mouths” must have already been ignoring these people for centuries. After all, what right does anyone else have to dictate how much you can say?

That said, let's be nice, okay? While swearing isn't necessarily a sign of disrespect (and has its benefits), some people are still sensitive to it or may feel hurt. Their experiences are just as valid as yours, and the fact that swearing is good for the mind doesn't mean you should ignore the feelings of others for the sake of your own sense of superiority.

And as for you, what’s your favorite swear word? What do you use most, even if it's just in your thoughts? While you're thinking, discover other habits that, surprisingly, are good for your health, like burping and gossiping.