I might have purchased this excellent book (Swearing is Good for You: The Amazing Science of Bad Language, by Emma Byrne) in search of a justification for swearing more … and I found it! For years doctors thought that swearing while in pain only made the pain worse, but one clever scientist finally decided to test this. He had his undergrad students twice plunge their hands into ice cold water, once while swearing, the other while repeating a neutral word like “table.” The students lasted 50% longer in the freezing water when they were swearing, and reported less pain.
My conclusion: the more I swear, the less pain I will feel. This becomes particularly relevant because in two weeks I’m having a second knee replacement surgery, which I know hurts—a lot. This time I intend to swear—a lot. And if anyone is offended, I will explain that I have a doctor’s prescription for swearing as part of my pain management program.
If swearing will help with my post-surgery pain, I’ll do it, ’cause I f**king hate pain. (Sorry, Mom, but please note that I used asterisks. It’s not really swearing if you use asterisks.)
6 Responses
So true!
If you have not watched “History of Swear Words” hosted by Nicolas Cage on Netflix, check it out. It offers a wonderful blend of historical accuracy and comedic humor. Just a warning – as the title implies there is A LOT of swearing so not for the faint of heart viewer.
Good luck with your upcoming surgery – heal quickly with lots of swearing.
Thanks!
Well, that was one *&#$%!* good post! A second knee replacement? Golldarn. At least now neither of them will give you anymore trouble, right?
Ha! That’s the plan anyway. Looking forward to endless walks and bike rides and swims without the knees slowing me down. Gonna take awhile to get there, however.
I immediately clicked on this blog title because I have intuited that concept my entire life: the swearing is a good way to deal with frustration, anger or pain. It just works, and now that I’ve become less legalistically religious, I see its value.
BTW, I’m reading Michael Larsen’s book and he referenced your talk at SF. I so enjoyed your memoir comments, I discovered you. Love your writing!
Hey, Ken, thanks for your comment. And I didn’t know Michael referenced me in his book—a new edition of How to Write a Book Proposal? No matter the topic, I am always the last to know. 🙂