Swearing as a catalyst of technological change (via language)

According to some views, reactive aggression declined during our recent evolution, this resulting in physical, cognitive, and behavioural changes in humans that promoted the sophistication of our culture. This so-called human self-domestication hypothesis (HSD) has been used to explain the parallel sophistication of language through a cultural mechanism, including the early emergence of rudimentary grammars capable of combining single words, with these compounds being perhaps extensively used for derogatory purposes in replacement of direct physical aggression. Complex language is a tool for achieving technological advancements, since it enables a more efficient transmission of know-hows to others. In this opinion paper, we hypothesize that this noticeable swearing behaviour might have contributed in direct and indirect ways to the improvement of human technology. Directly, because swearing has been shown to enhance dexterity and fine motor skills. Indirectly, because decreased stress levels and reduced anxiety, as typically resulting from swearing, enable one to engage in more efficient deep thinking, more efficient language use, and more productive work within a community.