We read and hear stories every day about the damage we do to each other. We will read about a shooting or someone getting assaulted or hurt in some other fashion. We tend to think that weapons are guns or knives or something explosive or even physical violence that cause the most damage but I think words are actually the most powerful weapon in the world.

“Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” That is one of biggest loads of crap I have ever heard. We have all heard that saying for years and most believe it’s true. I could not disagree more. Words are much more damaging than a weapon unless used in a murderous fashion. You can chuck all the sticks and stones you want at me. I will learn to dodge them or just learn to tolerate the pain. Any wound from a stick or stone will eventually heal and scab over. Words on the other hand, cut deep and continue to bleed. Some words cause so much damage that a person never really recovers from it.

I would rather be punched in the face than have someone say something hurtful to me. I was spanked as a child. Most of us from our generation were. I cannot remember a single spanking or lesson learned from it but I can vividly remember Dad’s lectures about how hurt he was by my behavior and how disappointed he was in me. Those words carried a lot more weight than a belt to the rear. I never remember a whooping but I remember how horrible I felt letting Dad down. I wished he would just spank me instead of talking. Those words linger and linger.

Keep that in mind when talking with your children, co-workers, friends and family members. Words are the most powerful weapon in the world. They are the weapons of mass destruction. You can destroy a persons confidence and sense of self worth with just a few horrible words that can never ever be taken back. Before you let unfiltered emotion come out of your face in the form of words, eat them for a minute and think about how they are going to effect the person you are about to say them to. Just give it a second before they come out. You may save someones self esteem. Be kind today…and everyday.

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