I drink decaf coffee sometimes and still feel the same boost as drinking caffeinated even though I know is has much less caffeine. I guess its mostly in my head. Although decaf does have some caffeine.
This is all about previous association - your body reacts to the thing because it has worked before.
The same happens when you take a paracetamol, you always feel better as soon as you've taken it, but it's because previously it did really work.
A similar thing happens with cursing - you can put up with more pain while shouting swear words than normal words, it is believed that is because you associate all those swear words with previously painful/traumatic times in your life and you're kind of drawing on those for extra strength.
jonplackett|5 years ago
The same happens when you take a paracetamol, you always feel better as soon as you've taken it, but it's because previously it did really work.
A similar thing happens with cursing - you can put up with more pain while shouting swear words than normal words, it is believed that is because you associate all those swear words with previously painful/traumatic times in your life and you're kind of drawing on those for extra strength.
The brain is strange and marvellous.