Why swearing should be allowed

Regardless of which word you choose, though, business etiquette expert Dianne Gottsman argues that these those words have no place at work. But Jay says even those are no substitute for the real thing.

Regardless of where you fall on how moral or necessary swearing is, there may be a scientific basis to using these kinds of harsh words. Research has indeed shown that swearing can benefit the speaker, helping to alleviate physical and psychological pain. Other studies have shown swearing can help alleviate emotional pain , too, so slipping a few choice words into a rant can make it much more cathartic. So, Jay argues that swearing has value.

Jay says using these explicit words are good for humour, self-denigration, storytelling and coping, too.

But of these additional functions, perhaps the most practical, useful one is fitting in socially. How do you react to that? Although you may feel comfortable with swearing in a more modern work environment, your colleagues may be none too impressed with your choice words Credit: Alamy. Using common language — swear words and all — can help someone slide more seamlessly into a social community.

Swearing can also provide a clue into your character — although maybe not in the way that you instinctively think. Perhaps bucking popular belief, research suggests swearing can make you seem more trustworthy or intelligent. One multi-national study showed that people who use profanity are considered to be less deceptive and to have more integrity. They might be trying to be part of the group, or to stand out by being funny or adding shock value to their talk.

Children might also be imitating others when they swear. If you know why your child is swearing, it can help you to decide on the best way to respond. But they do understand that words can hurt or offend others. Swearing to get a reaction Your reaction will influence whether your child swears again.

For example, if you laugh or react strongly, your child might enjoy the attention and be more likely to do it again. Stay calm and explain clearly that the word your child used is not OK.

This will go a long way towards preventing future swearing. Swearing to fit in socially If you think your child is swearing to fit in socially, try talking with your child about why they think their friends swear.

You could talk about other ways your child can feel accepted. It might not be realistic to expect your older child not to swear around their friends, but you might be able to help them understand which words are less offensive. You might need to help your child calm down from strong emotions like anger or frustration.

Then you can teach your child other ways of managing strong feelings like counting to 10, taking deep breaths or talking about difficult feelings. School-age children can get some good from simple explanations of what swear words mean. Timothy Jay and his colleagues found that the tendency to swear correlated with verbal fluency more generally, and was not a result of having a deficient vocabulary.

Swearing may fulfil a basic human need, says Melissa Mohr. If you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc. In Depth Language. The surprising benefits of swearing. Share using Email. Swearing is neither big nor clever, but could it have some hidden upsides? Tightly knit communities saw each other naked more often during a time when no one had much privacy.

So the body was less charged with taboo — Melissa Mohr. In Asian cultures, many of the curses are tied up with social status, ancestors and saving face. There are several hidden benefits of swearing. More persuasive? But recent research also shows there are several hidden benefits of swearing. Research suggests the amount of potential benefit you get from swearing depends on how taboo the curse word is to you.

The upper middle class swears significantly more than the lower middles class. She is oliviahowitt on Twitter. Around the BBC.