Words are one of the most important aspects of communication. They are a grouping of symbols accepted by all who are able to use them in order to make sense out of just about everything Without them, we would not be able to communicate like we do. Instead, we would have to find another means of communicating with one another. Types of inventions such as the telephone would be totally useless. They are very helpful when used right, but they can also hurt. Calling someone by an ethnic slur or poking fun at someone because they wear glasses can hurt the recipients feelings very badly and the person saying the words may not even realize it. For this reason, we must think before we say something sometimes to avoid hurting someone's feelings. Thinking before acting or speaking can be very difficult depending on a person's mood or situation. Regrettably, I have said some very hurtful things to many people without realizing it.
Saying the wrong thing was very easy to do. When I was in elementary school, kids would always sit there and tease each other, but for some reasons I always had something to say back that was ten times as harsh. I did not have a clue that I was saying something wrong; I thought it was a joke. Over the years, and many hours of after school detention, I realized that what I was saying was getting me in trouble, but at this time the concept of hurting someone with what I sometimes said was not sinking in. It took me until I had my first real girlfriend to understand that I could be very degrading and disrespectful towards others. Today, I do a lot better with my speech selection. My friends and I will rip each other apart sometimes, but that is where I try to keep it. The biggest contribution to that, other then growing up, is probably engaging in dual perspective. When I catch myself, I just think about it as if I was going to be the receiver of what I had in mind and then I can tone it down a bit.
