Quote Originally Posted by brian 333 View Post
I understand how words can hurt. What I don't understand is why you let them.

We were actively taught to not take offense and certainly to not go looking for it. Words are only sounds. You give them meaning, and the meaning you give them allows them to affect you. For words to hurt you must:

1) give those words a meaning which belittles you
2) believe that meaning actually applies to you
3) and internalize those meanings in a way that affects your attitudes

Without those three steps, which you must perform independently of any intent or agency by anyone else, those words are just sound. Someone would have to scream them into your ear to cause you harm. Instead, you have been taught to create buzzwords with meanings supplied by others, and they have conditioned you to respond emotionally when those buzzwords are spoken.

I am strong. I am beautiful. I am master of the ship of my life, not a helpless passenger on the Titanic. I control my thoughts, attitudes, and feelings, not some random hater that is trying to control me with buzzwords. Call me weak, or ugly, or whatever you like: I know you're wrong. Your words are noise on the wind.
Cool cool so its my fault that bigots harass me and are normalizing harmful rhetoric against me. That certainly makes more sense than trying to stop them from doing that.

If someone punches you in the arm you dont have to let that hurt you its just neural sensation its up to you to decide if thats painful or not. Just get stronger arms