Verbal Violence Quotes

Words are as strong and powerful as bombs, as napalm.

Words are like weapons; they wound sometimes.

If words could break souls, my words just broke his in two.

I believe absolutely that words must be treated as material weapons, every invective or threat as violence and aggression.

Sometimes words are harder than blows.

We slaughter one another in our words and attitudes. We slaughter one another in the stereotypes and mistrust that linger in our heads, and the words of hate we spew from our lips.

Hard words are for fools and cowards.

Enjoy the insult as you deliver it, before you learn its cost.

Reduce your humanity through what Jules Feiffer called little murders. The minute I hear someone trying to demean me, I know that that person means to have my life. And I will not give it to them. When a person commits these little murders, and then you catch him or her at it, he or she might say, "Oh, I didn't mean it." But make no mistake: It is an assassination attempt.

If you go into a bar in most places in America and even say the word poetry, you'll probably get beaten up. But poetry is a really strong, beautiful form to me, and a lot of innovation in language comes from poetry.

Words are things. You must be careful, careful about calling people out of their names, using racial pejoratives and sexual pejoratives and all that ignorance. Don’t do that. Some day we’ll be able to measure the power of words. I think they are things. They get on the walls. They get in your wallpaper. They get in your rugs, in your upholstery, and your clothes, and finally in to you.

There are words which cut like steel.

Prends l'e loquence et tords-lui son cou! Take eloquence and break its neck!

In a way fighting was just like using magic. You said the words, and they altered the universe. By merely speaking you could create damage and pain, cause tears to fall, drive people away, make yourself feel better, make your life worse.

I remember politicians in Northern Ireland were sometimes called 'verbal incendiarists,' as they didn't actually do anything but they said certain things. So when you hear certain politicians using nasty language, that colours our lives. It makes some other people think it's OK to racially abuse people.

The injury of words. Yes, the brutality of words.

Words are the parents of a causeless wrath.

My attitude toward peace does not depend on which war we are discussing. I think that words should do the work of bombs.

I dream of a language whose words, like fists, would fracture jaws.

She speaks poniards, and every word stabs.

Word - that invisible dagger.

People use words to do battle and to hurt one another terribly, tragically and even mortally.

Threats are the last resort of a man with no vocabulary.

It is no solution to define words as violence or prejudice as oppression, and then by cracking down on words or thoughts pretend that we are doing something about violence and oppression. No doubt it is easier to pass a speech code or hate-crimes law and proclaim the streets safer than actually to make the streets safer, but the one must never be confused with the other... Indeed, equating "verbal violence" with physical violence is a treacherous, mischievous business.

Language that is designed to dehumanize has consequences.