If you’re reading this, I’m guessing that you’ve heard the phrase “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all” at one point or another in your life. If you've ever seen the classic Disney movie Bambi, you most likely remember Bambi's adorable little friend Thumper, a rabbit named after his habit of thumping his left foot. We first meet Thumper in the movie when his family comes across Bambi and his mother in the forest. Thumper makes a comment about the wobbly way Bambi walks and is quickly reprimanded by his mother. When asked what advice he was given by his father that very morning, Thumper recites the above mentioned famous line.
Odds are that you said something that was out of line and you were quickly scolded by a parent or even a friend. We all say things at times that really shouldn’t be said. There are things that are just not fruitful and they do absolutely nothing to enhance conversation. All they do is make people feel bad.
That’s why it’s important to think before you speak. Its when we carelessly throw out words that we are likely to offend others without even realizing it. So if you find yourself thinking “Hey! Maybe this is something that could hurt somebody,” then DON’T SAY IT.
There may be some instances where something that you say is taken the wrong way and the other person gets offended. While I know that constructive criticism is a helpful tool, I will be the first to admit that I don’t always take it so well. I have a tendency to take things to heart and to see constructive criticism as a personal attack on me rather than something that can build me up. While it may come across in a negative way, it comes from a genuine place. Constructive criticism is not something that needs to be discarded completely.
On the other hand, if you are coming from a place that is vile in nature, that is not helping the other person grow or become a better person. In fact, it just makes you look worse.
Another phrase that we have been hearing for years is “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” But guess what? Words do hurt. A broken bone will eventually heal, but scars left from vicious words may never fully heal. Some words may hurt someone so badly that they feel like they aren’t worthy of a place here on this earth. So if you are thinking that what you say makes no difference at all, think again. Think about the times when words left you feeling less than human. Why would you ever want to make somebody else feel that way? If you want to throw hateful words at other people, be prepared for them to come right back to you. You know what they always say:
“Treat people the way you want to be treated.”
