The way you talk to yourself and others matters. The words we use have the power to build us up, or cut us down. Sometimes people underestimate the power of words, and it can be very easy to hurt someone’s feelings without even realizing. Here are the best words hurt quotes to help you through difficult times if you have experienced the harsh words of others.
Why do words hurt?
Communication is everything. When we choose to communicate with kind, loving, and positive words, we have the potential to change the world for the better. We’ve all experienced the feelings of joy when someone says something pleasant to us. It’s a wonderful confidence boost that makes you feel good.
Equally, when someone uses nasty, hurtful, or harsh words, it can completely damage your self-esteem. Whether or not the person meant it, the effects of these words can live with you for a long time. Even if we try to not take it personally, it’s completely natural to be upset. Humans are social creatures, and the approval of others is something we are naturally wired to care about.
If you’ve experienced someone saying hurtful words towards you, understand that it might not have anything to do with you at all. The person might be experiencing their own pain and they have directed it towards you. This doesn’t make it right, but it does help us not take it to heart.
Here are 50 powerful words hurt quotes to help you deal with the pain you are experiencing. They might inspire or educate you, or help you think about the situation in a different way. Make sure you write down your favorite ones for future use.
Words hurt quotes
- “People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude.” – John C. Maxwell
- “No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world.” – Robin Williams
- “Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another.” – Napoleon Hill
- “We are masters of the unsaid words, but slaves of those we let slip out.” – Winston Churchill
- “In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
- “Words are singularly the most powerful force available to humanity. We can choose to use this force constructively with words of encouragement, or destructively using words of despair. Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate and to humble.” – Yehuda Berg
- “He who does not understand your silence will probably not understand your words.” – Elbert Hubbard
- “Good words cool more than cold water.” – John Ray
- “Kind words do not cost much. Yet they accomplish much.” – Blaise Pascal
- “We must use words to uplift and include. We can use our words to fight back against oppression and hate. But we must also channel our words into action.” – Stacey Abrams
Quotes about conflict in relationships
- “Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.” – Stephen Covey
- “Assumptions are the termites of relationships.” – Henry Winkler
- “In human relationships, kindness and lies are worth a thousand truths.” – Graham Greene
- “I used to think that the worst thing in life was to end up alone. It’s not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel alone.” – Robin Williams
- “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” – Maya Angelou
- “How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours.” – Wayne Dyer
- “Love is never lost. If not reciprocated, it will flow back and soften and purify the heart.” – Washington Irving
- “There is no love without forgiveness, and there is no forgiveness without love.” – Bryant H. McGill
- “You never lose by loving. You always lose by holding back.” – Barbara De Angelis
- “We can improve our relationships with others by leaps and bounds if we become encouragers instead of critics.” – Joyce Meyer
Quotes about communication
- “We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” – Epictetus
- “Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something.” – Unknown
- “To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.” – Tony Robbins
- “Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill.” – Buddha
- “Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and can’t, and the other half who have nothing to say and keep on saying it.” – Robert Frost
- “Communication – the human connection – is the key to personal and career success.” – Paul J. Meyer
- “I think it’s very important to have a feedback loop, where you’re constantly thinking about what you’ve done and how you could be doing it better. I think that’s the single best piece of advice: constantly think about how you could be doing things better and questioning yourself.” – Elon Musk
- “Communication leads to community, that is, to understanding, intimacy and mutual valuing.” – Rollo May
- “Before you speak ask yourself if what you are going to say is true, is kind, is necessary, is helpful. If the answer is no, maybe what you are about to say should be left unsaid.” – Bernard Meltzer
- “To speak and to speak well, are two things. A fool may talk, but a wise man speaks.” – Ben Jonson
More words hurt quotes
- “Spiteful words can hurt your feelings but silence breaks your heart.” – C. S. Lewis
- “Words are more dangerous than swords and guns. They reach further and hurt deeper.” – Luis Marques
- “Sometimes you have to decide which will hurt more: biting your tongue or having your say.” – Faydra S. Fields
- “People say sticks and stones may break your bones, but names can never hurt you, but that’s not true. Words can hurt. They hurt me. Things were said to me that I still haven’t forgotten.” – Demi Lovato
- “Action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often.” – Mark Twain
- “You never know when a moment and a few sincere words can have an impact on a life.” – Zig Ziglar
- “You can change your world by changing your words… Remember, death and life are in the power of the tongue.” – Joel Osteen
- “False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil.” – Socrates
- “Words are more powerful than some noises. Noises won’t last long. Lyrics are so important, and people don’t realise that.” – Billie Eilish
- “Words have a lot of power.” – Juice Wrld
Quotes about harsh words
- “Insults are the arguments employed by those who are in the wrong.” – Jean-Jacques Rousseau
- “Ridicule is the first and last argument of a fool.” – Charles Simmons
- “I passionately believe that’s it’s not just what you say that counts, it’s also how you say it – that the success of your argument critically depends on your manner of presenting it.” – Alain de Botton
- “It is not he who reviles or strikes you who insults you, but your opinion that these things are insulting.” – Epictetus
- “I love it when someone insults me. That means that I don’t have to be nice anymore.” – Billy Idol
- “If you can’t ignore an insult, top it; if you can’t top it, laugh it off; and if you can’t laugh it off, it’s probably deserved.” – Russell Lynes
- “Never underestimate the power of human stupidity.” – Robert A. Heinlein
- “Always forgive your enemies – nothing annoys them so much.” – Oscar Wilde
- “The greatest musical instrument given to a human being is the voice.” – Dayananda Saraswati
- “Stand before the people you fear and speak your mind – even if your voice shakes.” – Maggie Kuhn
Final thoughts on words hurt quotes
Don’t meet criticism with more criticism. Rise above it, and realize that hurtful words come from troubled people. Choose to respond with wisdom, and be the bigger person. Give yourself the time to feel all of your feelings, then move on.
I hope these words hurt quotes have helped shine a light on your situation and provided you with something to think about. It’s never a nice experience when someone uses harsh words against us, but remember you do have the power to choose how you react to it.