Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Wise Words

One day, as I was soaking in the bathtub and pondering the complexities of the universe, I stumbled upon two old sayings that, in my mind, contradict each other. The first is this:

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me.

It seems simple enough: if you have not been physically harmed, then you haven't really been hurt at all. Shrug it off and go on with your life. It's a fairly effective way to get kids from retaliating against others who have been mean to them. The second, however, goes like this:

The pen is mightier than the sword.

Many a politician, businessman, public figure and child have felt the truth of this statement. Personally, I tend to subscribe more to the second statement than the first. I believe that words can harm a person deeply. At the same time, words can often be easier to heal from than a physical wound.

So now I'm curious. What do you think?

2 comments:

Lynn said...

I think words can hurt if you allow them to. It takes wisdom and experience to let them roll off, and realize they probably stem from the other person's problem, not mine.

If they are true and stem from my problem, I should examine myself to see if I need to change.

I think the most hurtful words are the ones that come before "Just kidding." You may be kidding, but would you say it if you weren't thinking it first?

One of my favorite quotes is: Just because someone is giving out offense, doesn't mean I have to take it. I can leave it on the table and walk away.

I love your blog lately because it makes me think and examine my own beliefs and concerns.

WV: flogati--30 lashes with a wet noodle.

Lynn said...

by the way, it appears your post posted twice.

WV: confer
no fair, that's a real word. Who conferred the rights to use real words?