“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Yeah, right! Try, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can also hurt me.”
Tell me something positive and I’ll smile and feel joyful for a few hours. Tell me something negative, and it has the ability to ruin my whole day and overall self-esteem. Coming from a person who has faced bullying about physical appearance, words can degrade confidence, lower self-esteem and stick with someone for life.
Of course there is always a time for honesty, but if it has the potential of hurting someone, it’s probably best left unsaid. Why say a comment that could have a negative lasting effect on someone?
Say something negative about someone’s appearance and they’ll notice every time they face a mirror. They’ll do their best to change it even if it’s something irreversible. The words will play over and over in their heads as they lie down at night. Before you speak, think! You may not “accept” the way someone looks, but they were either born that way, have a reason to be that way, or want to be that way. If they were born that way, it cannot be changed, so why mention it? No one is certain why some appearances are like they appear, so why mention it? Some people might want to look the way they do, which is completely fine, so why mention it? Some people are happy about their appearance, so refrain from saying something that could take that away.
Mention something negative about someone’s academic ability and they’ll never raise their hand in class again. They will begin to lose confidence in the classroom and could potentially fall behind their classmates. They may know the answer, but will fail to answer it verbally in fear of being wrong and getting ridiculed. Everyone learns at their own pace and everyone’s interests will vary. Before you comment on someone’s academic intelligence, take a moment to investigate their background and learn about their interests. Your findings may change your opinion and you may even learn a thing or two. Let’s celebrate everyone’s differences instead of pointing them out!
Each and every one of us have thoughts and each and every one of us have feelings. Thoughts don’t always have to be expressed, but feelings will always be felt. Words have the ability to hurt the toughest and most resilient people. In a perfect world, only uplifting thoughts would be said and everyone would have a great sense of self confidence. Unfortunately, we do not live in a perfect world, but can we all try to work together to make it as perfect as can be? You have a verbal play, pause and stop button. Know when to press play, know when to press pause, and know when to press stop. Please, take time to think before you speak. If you think your comment may be hurtful, it’s probably best unsaid.
