IF ONLY words have limits. If only what had been said could have been restricted. If only actions were done accordingly, then the damage could have been prevented. Words are more than just letters being put together. It is not just simply constructing sentences and phrases. It has sense and meaning. It is powerful enough to create or destroy relationships. But with how I see it in the world we are living now, this power is often misused and abused by many. Words have become weapons to destroy the spirit. They come in different forms of verbal abuse, which are forms of bullying, something common in schools and even in local communities.
Verbal abuse is bullying in a form of hurtful words that can cause pain and trauma to a person. Bullies would often use verbal abuse as their weapon to inflict negativity to someone else’s life, just to fill up the insecurities inside them. Acting tough and mighty through making painful and unnecessary remarks and jokes about someone is not funny. People who make fun of others and make names about a person reflect the joke in them. It is called projection, a kind of self-defense.
In my own understanding, bullies would defend the uncertainty in them by projecting that self-doubt to others by pin pointing daggers of words just to make others feel the insecurity that they have within themselves. Therefore, they lack self-love and with their constant behavior of bullying others just shows how pitiful they are.
Silence is a better option than saying a thousand meaningless and hurtful words. People need to know and understand the word “limit.” Having limits to words and knowing when to zip your mouth is key to better relationships.
Habitually talking ill about people and humiliating them loudly is somehow a form of a crime. Knowing how loud verbal abuse is in our generation, I am not surprised why there are many cases of depression, suicide, anxiety, and traumas.
Everyone should learn how to put a stop to this sickness in our society. It is essential to learn how to control one’s words and to properly relay them. If someone hurts you out of proportion because of their negative words, learn to hold your tongue and learn to ignore them. If it doesn’t work then have the courage to stand up for yourself so as to put a stop on it. If it still doesn’t work then let them be. They would get tired of it eventually. Verbal bullying is child-like, immature and erroneous. There should be no place for such in our society. (Alexis D. Kho, BSHM student, La Consolacion College)