For our foul-mouthed audience out there, it turns out you’ve got quite the reason to let f*cking loose.
A recent study has found intelligent people are more likely to swear – woo hoo, I’m included then!
Researchers at the University of Rochester asked 1,000 people about 400 typical behaviours and discovered a strong link between intelligence and swearing.
All participants during the study were asked how often they performed the 400 behaviours, reports The Independent.
The findings, published in the Personality and Individual Difference Journal, found those with a higher intellect were more likely to swear, eat spicy breakfasts, and walk around the house naked. Sounds like most of us!
Apparently, it also means you’re likely to drive above the legal speed limit, gamble, tell dirty jokes and drink a lot – holy sh*t.
Another study previously found people who can name the most swear words in a minute tend to score higher on IQ tests – GO!
As some would say – my mum included – swearing is often associated with the thought someone is of a limited vocabulary, when in fact, swearing often is a sign of rhetorical strength.
Psychologists from the University of Keele found swearing can even act as a natural pain relief.
During the study, participants were asked to curse before either doing an intense session on an exercise bike, or squeezing a device that measures hand grip strength.
In both situations, it was discovered swearing rudely resulted in significant improvements in performance compared with uttering ‘neutral’ words.
Dr Ricard Stephens, the team leader of the study commented:
We know from our earlier research that swearing makes people more able to tolerate pain.
A possible reason for this is that it stimulates the body’s sympathetic nervous system – that’s the system that makes your heart pound when you are in danger.
Well there you have it folks, next time someone tells you to mind your language, you can proudly turn around and explain your f**ing sign of intelligence.
Be careful when you’re around your boss though!
