Reject abusive language
HAVE you been called or branded “stupid,” “good-for-nothing,” “loser,” and other hurting and biased words?
This is name-calling, an example of abusive language, and people resort to it to push their selfish interest. Know how to spot it, and refuse to become a victim.
According to Merriam Webster, name-calling is “the use of offensive names especially to win an argument or to induce rejection or condemnation (as of a person or project) without objective consideration of facts.” It is also defined as “the use of abusive names to belittle or humiliate another person in a political campaign, argument, etc.” (dictionary.reference.com).
People who are skilled with words but have twisted values use name-calling to make a person, group, project, or cause unaccepted. With negative branding/name-calling, people who are easily deceived may believe them right away, thus, the ones labeled negatively will lose acceptance and support.
This is why name-calling is one of the worst forms of dishonesty.
One illustration is its use in abusive relationships – for example, when a person labels a boyfriend/girlfriend as “worthless” to make the latter lose his/her self-esteem and believe that such “worthlessness” is “valid” reason to prevent him/her from putting an end to the abuse and finding another partner. The “lie” makes the abused party settle with the current relationship.
Think again. Does any person or group use negative words to insult you or belittle you, especially when people don’t get what they want from you?
Power is asserted not through physical blows but through the use of negative words. Hearing such words everyday might confuse a disappointed, clingy, and insecure person and make him/her accept them as reality.
Such is the power that verbal abuse can wield to the undiscerning. Discernment alone is not enough. A person’s will must be strong enough to stop verbal abuse the first time somebody tries to use it against him/her.
Remember, lack of resistance reinforces abuse of any kind. Reject any unfair label or remark the moment you hear it. Refuse to accept it! Affirm yourself and keep your confidence level high.
Abusers/potential abusers study their victims. Those who just take everything and bear everything become regular targets of verbal and other forms of abuse.
You deserve to be respected as a person, whatever your status, educational attainment, religion, or color. Assert your rights and protect yourself from all kinds of abuse, including offensive or insulting language.
Constantly empower yourself. Only by keeping your confidence high can you manage to do great things for yourself, for the ones who are dear to you, and for those who are not even aware that you exist.
Like and share to empower individuals who feel trapped in abusive relationships and think that they don’t have any choice. As you strive to empower yourself, reach out and empower other people, too. We create our reality. All of us have a choice!
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