Your Words Can Make or Break Someone—Use Them Wisely

Your Words Can Make or Break Someone—Use Them Wisely

By Kateb Nuri-Alim Shunnar

Words are tricky things. They can be as sharp as a blade, cutting deep in ways time may never fully heal. Or they can be as soothing as a warm summer breeze, bringing comfort, hope, and strength when someone needs it most. Too often, people toss words around carelessly, never considering the weight they carry. But once spoken, there’s no rewind button no undo option. You can apologize, sure, but the echo of what was said lingers.

So why do we use words to hurt others? Sometimes, it's about control dragging

someone down just to feel a little higher.

Other times, it’s insecurity wrapped up tight, a way of masking one’s own pain by projecting it onto someone else. And let’s be real some folks were just raised that way. They grew up in homes where yelling, sarcasm, and criticism were the norm, so they pass that same energy on without even thinking. But no matter the reason, the damage is the same. And sometimes, it takes a lifetime to undo.

The real tragedy? Many people don’t even realize the harm they’re causing. They shrug it off I was just joking. I didn’t mean it like that. But words have a way of seeping into the cracks of someone’s confidence, settling in spaces where self-doubt already lives. That so-called “little joke” can turn into a wound that never quite closes.

But just as words can break, they can also heal. A sincere compliment, an encouraging word, a simple I see you. I hear you. You matter. these things can change someone’s entire day, maybe even their entire life. It’s like water to a wilting flower, a small thing that makes a world of difference. The challenge is remembering, in the heat of the moment, to choose the words that uplift rather than the ones that tear down.

And let’s be real words alone aren’t enough. Telling someone you love them while treating them like an afterthought? Empty. Promising you’ll be there but never showing up?

Meaningless. Saying someone matters to you while constantly prioritizing everything else? That’s how trust fractures one contradiction at a time. Actions are the receipts for our words; they’re what separate something real from something hollow.

Now pause for a second and think about this our words shape the world around us. They can build bridges or burn them down. They can lift someone up or crush their spirit. And here’s the scariest part a single careless sentence can cause damage no amount of apologies can fix. That’s why we have to be mindful, intentional.

A wildfire starts with just one ember, and words can ignite destruction just as easily.

And let’s not forget negativity feeds on itself. The more you give into it, the more it takes hold. You ever have a bad day and snap at someone, only for their reaction to make you feel even worse? It’s a vicious cycle, and the enemy thrives on it. The moment we allow negativity into our speech, we hand over control to something that doesn’t have our best interests at heart.

But here’s the good news we can flip the script. We can choose words that heal instead of harm, words that encourage instead of discourage. Sure, sometimes it’s hard, and biting your tongue might feel impossible. But if you can pause, even for a second, and ask yourself, Is this building or breaking? Helping or hurting? Giving life or taking it away? that moment of awareness can change everything.

At the end of the day, we all have a choice. Our words can be weapons, or they can be tools to build something beautiful. We can be reckless, or we can be intentional. We can breathe life into others, or we can drain it right out of them.

So let the words that leave your lips be full of kindness, wisdom, and purpose. Let them lift, empower, and bring light to those who hear them. And if you take nothing else from this, take this: Once you’ve said it, you can’t take it back. So use your words wisely.

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Proverbs

The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Nerve use words to hurt people...