Foul Language Can Generate Painkilling Power

Swearing actually helps relieve pain, according to a new study reported in Time magazine. Researchers at Great Britain's Keele University found that swearing has painkilling power, but it works best when you're not the kind of person who usually uses foul language. How did they prove this? They persuaded student volunteers to plunge their arms into a bucket of icy water, and encouraged them to swear repeatedly while they did it. Then they repeated the experiment, and asked the students to use decent language. They found that students could endure the icy water longer if they were free to swear while doing it. One theory is that swearing triggers our "fight-or-flight" instincts, thus dulling pain. Remember, this was a British study, so your tax dollars weren't used to pay for it.