"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." We all know that phrase, we all grew up saying it anytime someone was mean to you in elementary school. We are taught from a young age that words can't be hurtful because they aren't physical. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is where we got it all wrong.
Words have the power to create laws, to make someone fall in love, to unite people. If words can be so powerful in what we traditionally consider good ways than it is laughable to think that words can't be harmful. Words can cause both love and hate, and because of that, we need to truly think about what we say.
I can take out my phone right now, pull up Facebook (everyone's most problematic form of social media) and find at least three examples of things that can be deemed as hurtful or insensitive. Mostly in this current climate, they are political and come from both sides of the aisle.
We need to be open with each other about our feelings, especially when hate crimes are becoming a more common occurrence. But, we also need to think before we speak.
I am very willing and able to speak my mind, but I always try to think before I speak. I ask myself three questions before I say what's on my mind
1. Is this something I am comfortable having come back around in ten, twenty years?
GiphyBecause social media is a thing, and our technology is only advancing, any little comment I make on a meme, or any status I share, could come back and bite me in the ass. Will I be able to defend my thoughts in ten years?
2. Is it hurtful?
GiphyWill someone on my friends list, or someone around me, be hurt if I say this? Would I say it to their face? If you wouldn't, don't post it.
3. Is what I’m saying driven by emotions, or is this what I really believe?
GiphyA lot of times, it is. In this situation, it is best to wait, and see how you feel about it in an hour, two or tomorrow? If you really feel like this is something you need to share, then you should wait and make sure you
I know a lot of people don't understand why words matter, and I'm not here to make them change their mind. But, it doesn't hurt to think about people who have ended their lives over words said, people who end relationships over a word. Words do matter, just because they aren't physical does not mean that they don't cause harm. It really, does it hurt to stop and think about what you're saying?
