The Tongue Does Not Chew, But It Can Bite

Everyone knows that the tongue does not chew, but it can bite. It does this by using words, tones and cowardly phrases that go from ear to ear behind someone’s back. People who do not have muscle in their heart have many in their tongue, who are always quick to demonstrate their skill.

It is interesting how we can use words to cause harm , despite the fact that they are the language of the brain and the result of our evolution as a species. We still have not mastered the fine world of words and emotions and learned how to be more empathetic, more intimate. Why can we not just coexist instead of building words with rumors, verbal aggressions and insults?

We all know that the tongue can harm others as much as sticks and stones. Man has developed considerably, there is no doubt about this. We are more sophisticated, have more skills and can survive better in an environment that changes compared to our ancestors. But there are some things that should make us reflect and become a little more self-aware.

A couple of decades ago, we took a new step as a species. We opened up the path to the digital age. But instead of maximizing the bonds between people, the new technology has managed to do the opposite.

The tongue is used anonymously to create real damage through words – just 140 characters is enough. This damage can have serious consequences, but the responsibility is vague.

Why do we do this? Why do we bite our tongues until we ruin other people’s lives?

Words that cause real pain

Sometimes anger can take over us. Sometimes the tension is such that it makes us say the wrong things and hurt another person until he falls to pieces. It is said that it is always better to be silent in a tense situation than to spend a hundred years regretting what has been said.

Everyone, just everyone, has the power to cause harm to the tongue, in words. But when we say “harm” we are not talking about a simple metaphor. For the emotional pain caused by language is real, and it cannot be seen through neuroimages.

The invisible pain that no one sees

At the University of California Los Angeles, a study was conducted that discovered that when you hear bad words, and suffer from criticism and rumors, you activate something called “the neural network of social rejection.”

The person’s brain activity changes and he becomes “disconnected” and moves between anger and depression.

They also observed that verbal aggression produces a more lasting effect than physical abuse. Its impact can also affect a child’s development. Factors such as intimidation or verbal abuse, which many children are exposed to at school, are correlated with the level of white matter in the brain, including the hippocampus, which is a structure related to memories and emotions.

Stop and think: your tongue is a weapon

We know that the tongue can do harm, but in the same way, few medicines are as healing as wise words. A voice that gives support, a look that helps us, an ear that listens and words that come from the heart. So why is it so difficult to put these actions into practice?

First of all, not everyone has the strategies and abilities to do this. Many studies have shown that children who frighten and bully others have serious emotional and even mental problems. Many of them see aggression as synonymous with power. This behavior is their only way of asserting themselves in a personal context.

Second, people who are dragged along by the quickness of their tongues cannot guide their thoughts through an appropriate mental filter that would have smoothed the edges and activated their emotional handling and self-control.

We live in a society where the tongue has a wide audience and many different channels for expressing itself. In fact, it can unite a particular group against an individual or minority group. Instead of falling into the dynamics of “white sheep versus black sheep”, we must be able to elevate ourselves as people who can think for themselves.

The tongue is, after all, nothing more than an instrument for the brain. If we let it act itself, it will bring with it ignorance, primitive instincts and harmful words.

It’s not worth it. Before you speak or post anything on social networks, listen and observe. Be careful, because sometimes it’s better to be quiet than to say something you may regret later.