Profanity's Roots in Brain Chemistry? Damn Right
Swearing has its own home in our brains, separate from where we generate polite conversation.
When Benjamin Bergen was working on his new book about profanity, the reaction he would most often get was bafflement. Why would he want to write about vulgarity, profanity and cussin’? His answer, as a cognitive scientist, is that expletives are more than just vulgar expressions we let slip when we stub a toe or a ?#@%*! driver cuts into our lane. Swearing, they say, offers a glimpse into the workings of our brains.
To understand why profanity has become a subject for serious inquiry, look no further than the title of Bergen’s new , published in September: . Studying how and why we swear has taught researchers
