This is good stuff! This reminds me of a study I read about recently that swearing literally increases people’s physical strength—theoretically because social norms and expectations encourage us to hold back in everything we engage in. The more socially unacceptable the swear words, the more helpful they are at breaking our own boundaries. The article didn’t address this, but I imagine that if you used the swear words regularly, they would lose their effectiveness, just as if you did this singular uncomfortable assignment regularly, it would stop having its intended results. I imagine the key is finding ways of regularly pushing past your comfort zone, not specifically for an end result, but simply to practice overcoming the limits we place on ourselves that we don’t even realize are there.
Healthy rebellion is terribly underrated! At least in my life—I think some people have figured it out beautifully! I’m still trying to learn how to do it….
"Holding back is a form of self-preservation." - Welp, there it is!
This is good stuff! This reminds me of a study I read about recently that swearing literally increases people’s physical strength—theoretically because social norms and expectations encourage us to hold back in everything we engage in. The more socially unacceptable the swear words, the more helpful they are at breaking our own boundaries. The article didn’t address this, but I imagine that if you used the swear words regularly, they would lose their effectiveness, just as if you did this singular uncomfortable assignment regularly, it would stop having its intended results. I imagine the key is finding ways of regularly pushing past your comfort zone, not specifically for an end result, but simply to practice overcoming the limits we place on ourselves that we don’t even realize are there.
Alison, this is fascinating, and I find it's true in my life. I don't swear all the time, but when I do, it feels so empowering.
Healthy rebellion is terribly underrated! At least in my life—I think some people have figured it out beautifully! I’m still trying to learn how to do it….
Improv is a scary realm when we first try. It is a practice i take as seriously as I do mindfulness.
Thanks for the reminder. I did this exercise in a workshop once, decades ago. I will try it again.