The Power of Words

Through the internet, communication is now instantaneous. We are constantly bombarded with messages from our friends, family, the media, and the world. These words can be comforting and supportive, or these words can be mean and nasty. Our culture now accepts our malicious comments toward each other and justifies it with humor, and pleading to the First Amendment. Although we have the freedom to express our opinions, Americans today have taken the First Amendment to a new extreme. We think that just because we have the freedom to say whatever we please, supposedly means that we do not have to take into account how our words may effect the people around us. We do not realize the profound effect our words have on others. Words hurt. The pain and insecurity from vicious words have driven people to various destructive behaviors, and in extreme cases have ended lives. If we would have the courage to take a stand up, and encourage one another; we could have a profound effect on someone's life, and even the world.

In our culture, it seems that malicious words are everywhere. If you walk through the halls of our school, you will see people wearing insulting t-shirts and calling each other malevolent nicknames. When you turn on the TV, you will see shows that are about making fun of the bad singers or about making fun of the opponent's mother. All of these supposedly humorous things are supposedly justified by our culture through the Freedom of Speech, and humor. The First Amendment gives us the right to state our opinion. Although we have the right to state our opinion, we should take into account the effect our words have on the people around us. If the writers of the constitution were to hear the way we have taken the First Amendment to new extremes they would roll over in their graves. It was instated to give everyone the right to a opinion, not to give people the right to be destructive with their words. The world also justifies vicious words with the right to make a joke. I agree that sometimes it is funny, but we must think about how the person being laughed at might feel. Today, a majority of comedians pick vulnerable groups of people and make fun of their differences. Although it is funny, we must respect their culture, just as they respect ours. Those things are what make that group of people unique, and just because they are different it does not give you the right to make fun of them. America has stooped down so low that we have become desensitized to how cruel our culture has become.

People say cruel things because of their own insecurity. Our moms have told us this since we were awkward seventh graders in middle school; she was right. They pick out the imperfections in others because they do not want people to see the imperfections in themselves. They think if they can draw attention away from themselves, then other people will not notice their own insecurity. We laugh at the jokes that people make about others because we are just happy that we are not the ones being laughed at. As long as we think the jokes are funny by making fun of someone, they will continue to lash out against people because they feel accepted by us. Our society also makes this problem worse by accepting this type of behavior. Due to their lack of acknowledgment of their own insecurities people have to suffer the pain of humiliation and mortification day after day.

When we are making fun of someone, we never stop to think about the effects of our words might have on others. A famous expression says "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me". This expression is completely false. Words do hurt. When people notice and make fun of things about ourselves, we begin to notice those things too. Any positive self-image we had about ourselves is broken by a few, unmeditated words. Our perception about ourselves becomes not what we think about ourselves, but what people think and say about us. When we get into this mindset, we want the world to accept us. In effect, we try to change the things about ourselves that people have noticed, or have made fun of to be accepted by the world. We will stop at nothing for the approval of the world. We will even compromise who we are for who we are told to be. Trying to change ourselves into who we are told to be can lead to various destructive and compulsive behaviors. This is when this becomes more than a common teenage problem. It gets so serious that people will take themselves to near death just to please society. In reality, this society is just as insecure as they are. Since these people are insecure, they also lash out against others to draw away the attention away from themselves. In effect, this starts a never ending cycle of insecurity. If we would just think about what we are saying before we speak, maybe some of these problems could be avoided.

The cycle has to stop. By accepting ourselves for who we truly are, this seemingly never ending cycle of insecurity comes to a screeching halt. We cannot let the opinions of the world take control of us. When we realize that the reason why they make fun of us is just a reflection of their insecurity, their opinion no longer matters. If we accept ourselves for who we were made to be, we no longer have to change ourselves or live for their approval. If you look to our Creator, He will tell you that you were made beautiful just the way you are. He will also tell you that you were made perfect through your imperfections, and strong through your weaknesses. Since the world's opinion no longer matters, we do not have to draw attention away from ourselves, and thus the cycle of insecurity finally comes to a immediate stop.

Although the cycle stops, we must not stop here. We must take a stand to prevent this from happening again. By encouraging each other and building each other up we can take a stand against the world. A kind word or a pat on the back can make a profound impact on someone's day. If we would build each other up instead of bringing each other down, maybe we could all finally accept ourselves for who we truly are and be the person we were created to be.