I grew up hearing the old, “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” As a kid I would rather have my dad yell at me or lecture me than to hit me. Now as an adult I almost feel the opposite. In martial arts class we did an exercise where we tried to trigger or neg or name call each other, simulating a bully on the street. I couldn’t do it, it was harder to say nasty things to someone than to try and choke them to death or break their leg.
Then there is the saying the pen is mightier than the sword.
