Research Says Swearing At Work May Have Some Benefits

Swearing in the workplace is still seen as a nonstarter. In fact, a survey in 2015 found that swearing “brings an employee’s professionalism into question” by 81% of employees.

Research shows that cursing increases the persuasiveness and effectiveness of arguments.

Five years later, that opinion is no longer as strongly held. A whole slew of research has pointed to the many benefits of cursing in both private and professional lives.

One study shows that people who swear frequently are less likely to lie, have higher levels of integrity and emotional intelligence, and have a larger vocabulary. Swearing has even been associated with a higher IQ. Cursing allows people to create a stronger connection and create greater trust because using curse words communicates feelings and opinions that aren’t captured by everyday language that allows for deeper understanding between people.

Swearing even has health benefits. It can actually help reduce pain. People who swear frequently also have elevated endorphins, increased circulation, and calmer and control overall.

In a work environment, research shows that cursing increases the persuasiveness and effectiveness of arguments. Profanity used in teams that work together makes them more effective and cohesive.

When it comes to sales, cursing can have a definite benefit. Swearing can result in 18% more sales when both sides of a sales call engage in swearing.
Sales prospects, although more comfortable swearing than sales reps, tend to wait until later stage calls to swear. But once they do, the sales rep is 400% more likely to swear, which leads to a better outcome.

It’s still not as socially acceptable for women to swear. And although men and women tend to swear an equal amount in casual situations, men curse on sales calls 39% more than women.

Research also shows that the s-word is more popular than the f-word, accounting for 65% versus 32% of obscenities used in the workplace.

Although swearing may still not be acceptable in mainstream society or in corporate culture, research shows that swearing in the workplace may have many benefits.