When I was a kid we used to chant: “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” Looking back, I realize how wrong we were, and now inept that common childhood chant really is.
Words can hurt. Words are the most powerful things on this planet; and I have no doubt words are the most powerful things in the universe next to the primordial powers that keep the planets spinning around their suns, the galaxies whirling gracefully around some mysterious universal pole, and not least, us from flying off into space. But of things human, words are, without doubt the most powerful things we will ever know.
And each of us have words at our command, to use for good, or for bad.
Someone’s words launched the attack on the World Trade Center towers. Words launched the many wars in the violent history of humanity that have, by now, killed millions and affected millions more – and left families devastated, and beautiful landscapes scorched and smoldering.
Words launched our greatest religions. Words have enslaved millions of people and words then justified this immorality so that slavery continued on and on until it was finally abolished less than 150 years ago in my country.In some contries, it continues still.
Words can twist our thoughts and incite hate and justify even the most heinous human activities; words can make the most pernicious things, acceptable. Words have kept women from voting, minorities from enjoying the benefits of freedom, children from reaching their potential; words can hurt, words can kill, words can punish — but words can heal as well.
Words can begin friendships, words can set entire civilizations free. Words can soothe a broken heart, words can inspire a child to become the inventor of new medicines that can cure the diseases which to this day still ravage and kill without regard to social status, country of origin, religion, gender, or color of skin. Words can begin marriages that last decades and produce beautiful families – children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren that become the focus of our lives.
Words can make or break a day, a friendship, a town, a city, a state, or country.
Most of us don’t give a lot of thought to the words we use every day. We go about our business and concern ourselves with minutiae, and silly unimportant things we think matter, but really don’t. We throw words around carelessly and if we are too careless we can hurt others.
As few as twenty years ago the reach of our words were mostly limited to those around us, But today our words can be transmitted around the world in less than a second and read by one, or dozens, or hundreds, or thousands or even millions. It’s so easy in this instant age to hurt others with our words. It’s always been easy to be careless with our words, but technology has enabled us to launch hateful or hurtful words around the world in seconds. And we, somehow, like to believe our relative anonymity shields us from blame and more importantly from being hurt by someone’s words. But the words we speak or the words we write can break a heart or incite terrible hatred. Words have become more powerful than ever with the evolution of instant communication.
The thunder of missiles and the devastation unleashed by humanity’s most fearsome weapons pale in comparison to the power of words.
Words are the alpha and the omega: the beginning and the end. They can bring joy when beautiful new baby is born and tear a heart apart when they bring news of the unexpected passing of a loved one. Words can light the world; words can turn the world into a burned cinder.
Be careful of the words you use. Choose them carefully and thoughtfully. Touch people with your words, but touch them gently. Make someone feel better today. Tell someone you love, how much you love them. Tell your partner, your friends, your children, anyone who is close to you, how important they are to you. Words are more powerful than you know.
It’s only words, but words are the most powerful things in the world.
Wow how true and today more then ever because there is no taking back words that are posted without thinking or in anger.
Oh – My, I always read your essays with great interest, and admiring your talents for writing, however this time I was disappointed to say the least .
” Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” Truer words were never spoken, it is all about your perception and understanding, and being able to see things as they really are, not to mention the ability think for yourself and not easily coerced by others.
Al-Qaeda and bin Laden cited U.S. support of Israel, the presence of U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia, and sanctions against Iraq as motives for the attacks. The United States responded to the attacks by launching the War on Terror and invading Afghanistan to depose the Taliban, which had harbored AL-Qaeda
.bin Laden publicly acknowledged AL-Qaeda’s involvement in the attacks on the U.S. and admitted his direct link to the attacks. He said that the attacks were carried out because, “we are free … and want to regain freedom for our nation. As you undermine our security we undermine yours.
The terrorists were suicide bombers on a mission, for them it was a choice of two evils. Muslim legal scholars, “have throughout Islamic history unanimously agreed that the jihad is an individual duty if the enemy (US) destroys the Muslim countries.
The point to remember, it’s the Action and not Words that caused the attack on the World Trade Center.
Again, you refer to Slavery as Words having enslaved millions of people, ah – ah, it’s Greed and greed alone, which is the origin of slavery, by bring in illegals from poorest of the poor working for endless hours without relief knowing that without legal papers will not report abuses for fear of deportation.
It nothing to do with words, but all about Greed.
About women voting; The real reason is not because of words, but rather because women didn’t own property and the founding fathers felt that it was unfair for non-property owners be allowed to participate in voting for tax measures that affected property rights. Since women couldn’t own property they would not have a vested interest in insuring fair taxation laws for those that DID own property. Today it’s called discrimination, however, women are still discriminated against today. Compared to men, they make less money and are given fewer promotions. In poorer, underdeveloped countries, women face much worse conditions and in some case aren’t even considered to be “people.”
So, in short, it seems that the superiority complex that men have had since the beginning of time have followed through. While women have gained the right to vote, it’s still a big deal for them to become more involved in politics. Think of Hillary Clinton’s critics! Men just like to be in charge.
Oops – missed this one, “words can hurt, words can kill, words can punish — but words can heal as well.”. Again I have to give this a failing grade, be realistic here, words can kill, guns can kill, getting hit by a Bus can kill etc. a word is nothing – it can not bee sen, cannot be touched, a word has no substance. Since words don’t have any substance, then the correct interpretation would be “Words don’t hurt you, unless you let them hurt you”.
Anyway, I could go on and on, what it basically comes down to, its all about the ability to think for yourself and not easily coerced by others, its all how mentally strong you are or how good the self esteem you got.
And as a living example, I personally have been bullied for most of my school years, so I learned early on to think, it made me realize who the words came from and why, the defense was to ignore them and do nothing, in the end many of these bullies became my friends, good friends too I might add, not all, but they soon gave up on me as wasn’t giving them any satisfaction, I take that away from them by doing nothing.
That is my piece, thank your for reading this even I am wrong, but I’ll still be right regardless of your individual decisions
HM
Thank you. I enjoyed reading your article. Some esteemed writers have shared your opinions:
No man has a prosperity so high or firm, but that two or three words can dishearten it; and there is no calamity which right words will not begin to redress. -Ralph Waldo Emerson, writer and philosopher (1803-1882)
But words are things, and a small drop of ink, falling like dew, upon a thought, produces that which makes thousands,perhaps millions, think.
– George Gordon Byron (1788-1824)
Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.- Joseph Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)
Short and to the point and so very true.
Regards
Walter Crawford.
Thank you for another great essay.
I have read your words for many years and they have made me laugh, cry, feel happy and feel sad. They have caused me to think about many different things that I would not have done without your words. Your words have affected my life and the lives of many others.
I feel I must comment on Hermann’s words.
I believe he has missed the point completely.
Yes greed may have been the cause of slavery and suicide bombers did have a mission but they didn’t just randomly decide they would pop down to the airport, jump in a plane and fly off to attack America. It was all carefully planned and coordinated and discussed using WORDS!!
That is the point, words come before any of these actions.
Think about it, discuss it, then carry out the action.
Thought becomes Word, Word becomes Action, Action becomes Habit, Habit becomes Character.
We all are known for our Character.
Stealing from Ellen deGeneris: “BE KIND.”