Words cut deep...

"Open your mouth only if what you are going to say is more beautiful than silence"

-Arabian Proverb

I've heard that the tongue is the strongest muscle in the body and although this statement is false, it does reign true in a certain way.

People often forget that words can hurt a person more than anything. It damages something deep within a person and those wounds are often the most difficult to fix.

Words can be used in many ways but people tend to use it for abusive purposes. Cyberbullies are the best at using words to bring people down. By just using the right words, they can get to you and make you feel completely worthless... Make you feel as if though you are nothing.

And that is not okay. It is not okay to hurt people, verbally or otherwise. Yes, the physical is still noticeable but verbal? Verbal abuse is something one can't see. It destroys people mentally. Makes them self-aware. Makes them feel like nothing.

One can become so sad. Especially when no one helps them. Nowadays, if one person says something about you, something that hurts you; not everyone comes to your aid. They join in, pointing out flaw by flaw and making you feel like you mean nothing. Others who do try to help, they say that you should just ignore, that you should forget what they say. But how? How do you get rid of these things that are now stored in your brain? How do you forget the constant thoughts that come across your mind every time you look inside the mirror or every time you write an exam?

The pictures above were part of a project by photographer, Richard Johnson. These pictures display how damaging it is to verbally abuse a person, no matter the age.

These pictures are only a few of many but the message that comes across is a powerful one that my words, unfortunately, cannot express. However, from personal experience, I can vouch for the fact that words hurt way worse than a cut or scratch. It is a problem that we face in society with the standards of beauty and intelligence portrayed out there in media.

We are all different and therefore, beautiful in our own way.

I ask you to please not hurt someone, in any way, shape or form. Be Kind. Help instead of hurt.

And I will leave you with this:

If the words we spoke were carves into our skin, would we still be beautiful?

-zestasià

(Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zestasia_reads/ )