IN THESE potty-mouthed times, when certain world leaders sling profanity about with abandon, many observers naturally lament the debasement of speech. But instead of clutching pearls, why not find a silver lining? Learning more about when, how and why people swear offers insight into everything from the human brain to a society's taboos. Trash talking even affords some real physical and social benefits, as Emma Byrne argues in "Swearing Is Good for You".
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