farmdoc's blog post number 557

Swearing. It’s an activity I do a bit of. Usually it’s when something, or someone, bothers or frustrates me, and I need to let off steam quickly. I see no harm in it as long as it doesn’t offend anyone. Now UK researchers have found that when sudden pain occurs – e.g. when you hit your finger with a hammer, or catch it in a car door – swearing can reduce the pain’s severity. They submitted each of 66 volunteers to pain – by putting a hand in iced water – followed by saying (or yelling, more likely) either swear words or non swear words. Compared with not swearing, swearing decreased perceived pain. Why? A clue is that swearing increased the heart rate. Yes, you’re correct: swearing causes release of adrenaline which induces a fight-or-flight response which pre-occupies the swearer’s brain so much that it reduces its capacity to perceive pain. Much the same as downloading two items simultaneously from the internet restricts your computer’s capacity to download a third item at the same time. The message? Next time something painful suddenly happens to you, don’t be afraid to let off steam by swearing. But prevention’s better than cure. So be careful when you’re hammering, and when you’re shutting car doors.

farmdoc's blog post number 239

Probably because I’m an old guy, I try to treat everyone I interact with in my life, with courtesy and respect, irrespective of their age, gender, education etc. And I expect at least a modicum of courtesy and respect in return. I think this is the only way that people can form and maintain relationships in this increasingly crowded, busy and stressful world. Though when younger I was easily angered, I now see that anger gets no-one anywhere. And the same goes for a subset of anger – swearing. Of course swearing can be good-natured or abusive; I’m talking here about the abusive type. So I’ve adopted a zero tolerance swearing policy in my consulting room. To me swearing is discourteous and disrespectful within all professional relationships. So I don’t tolerate it. At all. But not so the Tasmanian Premier Bartlett, who last week said there’s no need to discipline his Infrastructure Minister Graeme Sturges (pictured) who swore at a farmer at a recent Xmas party, and refused to apologise. Mr Bartlett said there’s a line, and Mr Sturges hadn’t crossed it. Even if Mr Sturges was provoked, that attitude from the highest elected public official in the State makes me ashamed to be a Tasmanian. But even worse, it diminishes the institution of Parliament – which Parliament can ill afford in these troubled times.