We're constantly warned of the dangers of our bad habits, whether that's drinking, gambling, swearing or something else.
And of course, it's right that we are. These habits are bad because they do us harm, making us more unhealthy, more miserable, or just much less fun to be around.
Or at least they do if we do them too much, or in the wrong circumstances. But some bad habits can actually be good for us, if you know how to treat them. Here's how.
Swearing
At best, swearing can make men seem inarticulate. At worst, it can make them seem angry or aggressive. Nobody likes to hear loud swearing in a public place.
But on occasion, a well-chosen profanity doesn't just feel like the only word up to the task - it can even be good for you.
Researchers at Keele University's School of Psychology found that volunteers who repeated a swear word throughout the ordeal were able to keep their hands in ice cold water longer than participants who repeated a non-swear word. It adds to previous evidence that swearing, on occasion (when you stub your toe, for example), can be an effective form of pain control.
But the Keele researchers warned that swearing works best when it's done in moderation.
"People who don't swear very much in daily life can keep their hand in roughly double the amount of time when they swear compared to when they don't swear," said Keele's Dr Richard Stephens. But the research found that swearing is less effective as a painkiller in people who swear regularly at other times.
Drinking
Excessive drinking ups your risk of various cancers, obesity, heart disease and a host of other unpleasant ailments. But alcohol doesn't have to lead to ill health. It can be good for you.
There's actually quite a lot of evidence that moderate drinking is healthy. Most recently, a study from researchers at Calgary University found that people who drank moderately were 14% to 25% less likely to develop cardiovascular disease than people who didn't drink at all.
That chimes with a ten-year study on Irish and French men, which found that regular, moderate drinkers had a lower risk of heart disease than both non-drinkers and binge drinkers.
Bear that last line in mind, though. Only modest drinking - four units a day for men at most, up to a maximum of 21 a week - seems to confer health benefits. Heavy drinking is always bad for you.
Fighting
Brawling on the street or in the pub is never a good idea. You could get seriously hurt. You could get arrested. You could get shunned by everyone you know.
But studies show that training to fight in a controlled environment actually makes people less violent.
The research has largely been done with martial arts, but it may be true of boxing too. When you fight in a structured environment, you release aggression safely, connect with others socially, and give yourself something to do on boring nights when you might otherwise be out looking for trouble (if you're that way inclined).
In fact, research from a Gentle Warrior martial arts training programme in the US found that teenagers were less likely to be bullies the longer they participated in the programme, and they were also more likely to help others who were being bullied. These positive results were only reported in boys.
In other words, structured training in martial arts helps boys develop a better attitude to violence and aggression. Fighting - in the right way - was good for them.
Gambling
Gambling is undoubtedly bad for you if you become addicted to it or if you need to gamble to try and pay the rent. But moderate gambling, like your monthly poker night with friends, can be healthy in all sorts of ways.
For a start, you enjoy it, and having fun is good for us. You also do it with friends, and having strong social relationships is, according to research, one of the keys to happiness.
In fact, research published in the American Journal of Psychiatry found that, among older people, gambling is a positive boon. It found that between 80 and 90% of all recreational gamblers over 65 claimed to enjoy excellent health, compared with just 62% of non-gamblers.
You may not be over 65, but the reasons the researchers found for this positive effect are relevant at any age. Gamblers were more stimulated (they enjoyed it - a lot) and sociable than non-gamblers.
A paper from the University of Salford concluded that, though more research needs to be done, contrary to popular opinion recreational gambling might actually be beneficial to the vast majority of us.
What all this suggests is that, outside of illegal activity, there is very little in life that is bad for you in every circumstance. As these examples show, even so-called bad habits can be good for you, if you stick to a few simple rules - and of course remember that moderation is key.
Article by Hugh Wilson for MSN Him
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