Whoever said «Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me» couldn’t have been more off-base. I’d much rather skin my knee than get called a mean name. Because I know my knee will heal even if I don’t do anything about it. Emotional wounds need to be faced head-on, and I don’t have that kind of time. The little things people say to us will stick, even if we don’t want them to. You probably remember some mean thing your 4th-grade tormentor said to you, and you’ll probably never forget. Words have a way of sticking in your craw long after they’ve been said. 

This is why we need to stand up for ourselves when we feel like we’re being disrespected. It’s hard to do at the moment, but it will save us pain later on. That’s what one woman tried to do when her boyfriend’s friend crossed a line.