The Responsibility of Owning a Weapon:
And other dangers of having a voice
As children, we're all taught the same, relative, things; strangers are scary, there's no such thing as the boogeyman, Santa won't bring you presents if you're naughty, and words are harmless They teach us to be weary of sticks, stones, guns, and fire, but words? We're taught that words, language, is insignificant to emotion, that nothing we hear can ever hurt us, that we're immune from the harsh barbs that can swing in like razors. It's just that kind of dishonest training that gets people thinking they can say whatever they want with no repercussions and the reason why certain, precious, phrases; things such as 'I love you' and 'I'm sorry' have lost most of their emotional value -- at least to most people. They've become things we simply say because the obligation to say them is there. Over an over again is the fact that language is meaningless reinforced and it's high time such a lie is addressed.
Language is a weapon, an it should be considered such. It's not some rubber thing that stings at worst, it's a destructive force the likes of which are completely unparalleled. Shoot or stab someone? They'll heal and, though they may never forget, they will move on. Wound someone with your words? There's a very real chance they may never recover. It's this fact that, it seems, a lot of people are forgetting. It's what's pushing teens across the country to kill themselves or their classmates, it's the plague that's turning our hearts into empty, shells, and our eyes into dry, lifeless, deserts. Language and words carry with them a limitless potential and, because of this, language has always been my favorite tool.
Yes, it absolutely capable of being a weapon of mass destruction -- there's nothing more destructive than honesty -- but it's also capable of so much more. Language should never, ever, intentionally be wielded with the intent to harm or maim anyone. If that happens as a result of what is said? Consider your words, consider what you said, and ask yourself if it's really what you believe, and was it worth the cost to say it? Is it worth the knowledge that you may have damaged, if not destroyed, something beautiful? Can you choose to apologize for it, if you feel that the wounding was unjust? If you can't, you should be very careful of how you use the weapons you were born with.
Is it worth it to call someone fat, for example, simply because they're overweight, or short because they're lacking in stature? These are obvious statements to some of us, but what purpose does the poison of malice serve? It's irresponsible serpents like that, who leap about biting babes, that have no business being allowed to keep their fangs. They have no concept of the venom they carry and passing laws to tape their mouths shut isn't something that I imagine would be considered immoral. Speech, like guns, require a certain measure of responsibility when using them. If you go discharging them without this teaching? You're just as likely to kill yourself without ever even realizing it -- and then you're just some toxic zombie, and the world will, eventually, put you down.
It should not go unspoken though that is an inherent danger in using kind words without consideration too. Words of affection, apologies, or even simple statements of praise an admiration? These things are no less dangerous and should be given just as much, if not more, consideration that those weaponized words we could use. Falsehoods, even if coated in honey, are the same noxious kind of poison that can cut the legs out from under anyone. They're the nagging, necrotic, infection that builds up like an invisible parasite, turning our insides to warm mush. It's only when it's too late when we realize that the sweet words we've been told have eaten us away and the solid land we thought we were standing on is a transparent cloud.
Is it worth it to call someone fat, for example, simply because they're overweight, or short because they're lacking in stature? These are obvious statements to some of us, but what purpose does the poison of malice serve? It's irresponsible serpents like that, who leap about biting babes, that have no business being allowed to keep their fangs. They have no concept of the venom they carry and passing laws to tape their mouths shut isn't something that I imagine would be considered immoral. Speech, like guns, require a certain measure of responsibility when using them. If you go discharging them without this teaching? You're just as likely to kill yourself without ever even realizing it -- and then you're just some toxic zombie, and the world will, eventually, put you down.
It should not go unspoken though that is an inherent danger in using kind words without consideration too. Words of affection, apologies, or even simple statements of praise an admiration? These things are no less dangerous and should be given just as much, if not more, consideration that those weaponized words we could use. Falsehoods, even if coated in honey, are the same noxious kind of poison that can cut the legs out from under anyone. They're the nagging, necrotic, infection that builds up like an invisible parasite, turning our insides to warm mush. It's only when it's too late when we realize that the sweet words we've been told have eaten us away and the solid land we thought we were standing on is a transparent cloud.
Words are anything but harmless. They're the most harmful and helpful tools we have, they can turn a sky gray with storms, or chase them away and bring out the sun. The power of words is immeasurable. Think about every song, every speech, you've ever heard. In some way, shape, or form, they alter how you feel in those moments; be it violent disagreement, passionate agreement, or everything in between. Every word you speak can make or break entire universes and, what's more, it often will. We have laws in the world that govern the use of firearms and other such weapons.We have penalties for when they're discharged without consideration, but language? It's up to us to establish a method for measuring how we use our words, up to us to be mindful of the damage they can do.
None of us are invulnerable, none of us are immune, and stick and stones may break bones, but words, and only words, have the ability to break spirits. Be responsible with your words, and be aware that the can be wielded against you just as quickly. Shore yourself up for the times when they're slung harshly, but be ready to welcome them when they soothe a savage wound.
No comments:
Post a Comment