Power in the Tongue
January 27, 2008
Remember the nursery rhyme we recited as children. “Stick and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” As I recited it when I was a child, I knew it did not make sense. I knew then what I know now, it is not true. There is power in the words we speak. Words can heal or hurt.
Anyone who has access to children, who nurture them, and who influence them in any way should take heed to the volatile you say to them. Even though they may have choice words for you. They are still children. Many are hurt and some have been ill-raised. You have the honor of influencing them for life. It is your job to provide them with better alternatives, better words to use, better ways to act. Your words will hurt them or heal them. Their words will simply piss you off for a time. Get over it. As a responsible adult, the choice is yours.
Bones will heal with few scares but words will hurt deeper than any broken bone. When words cause hurt, they can be intense, long lasting, and destructive. If you have ever been wounded by words, you know that words can be devastating even when not even a finger is raised against you. Abusive words go far beyond the boundaries of love, far beyong the boundaries of discipline, far behond the boundaries of even fair fighting. Harsh words, harsh temperament, and a harsh tone is called verbal abuse.
Verbal abuse is unjustified. It is unremitting. It is harsh criticism and has no place in any so-called loving relationship More importantly, it has on place in the discipline of children or any educational setting. It is unjustified and simply wrong.
