belittled

I honestly don't believe there is a more suffocating feeling than being belittled, being made to feel small, and stupid and insignificant.

There is no power in crushing those around you who are not strong enough or brave enough to stand under your weight and push against it.

I think this is such a devastating emotion to feel because we spend our whole lives being told to, "Grow Up" or, "Behave Like and Adult." and we get caught up in this race against ourselves to become "Mature". Then one person swoops in with a careless string of words that chokes and destroys everything we've been conditioned to believe an associate as strong, down into piles and piles of rubble. We are suddenly stripped of this facade of strength because we were taught that Adults are strong and Children are weak. We are suddenly made to feel like a child again, a defenseless child being scolded and judged and looked down on.

Its scary to feel so small so quickly when you've grown so comfortable being strong.
Its devastating.

Most of the time its due to an innocent mistake that turned out worse than you thought. A mistake that ends in you being stepped on and squished by people who believe they are more "Adult" than you and therefore believe they hold the power to scold and hurt you.

It is in our nature to protect those who can not do so themselves yet. We look after the well being of our kids as parents, we care about the well being of our pets. We protect our younger siblings fiercely and yet we let other step on each other because we are too scared to speak up against it, "But I don't know her and she is kinda overweight, so why is it my problem?" "He is actually really weird, but hes probably used to being called that by now."

I see no courage in cutting people down. I see no power in stepping on others to "teach" them something.
I see no strength in too many adults stepping on the small to feel big.

Careless words have the ability to wrap their hands around your throat and drown you in airlessness. You would never intentionally suffocate someone, right?
"Suffocate someone? Me? NO! Never. I would never do that"
But it happens. More often than we realize.

Words without thought often end up wrapped around someones throat. Luckily  most people find a way to breathe, a way to escape the tightening tendrils before they die, but for others, it can and is a nuclear bomb going off in their backyard. Your words are so powerful than a nuclear bomb that could completely desecrate a city in less than 10 seconds, leaving toxicity and wastelands for all to find. Nuclear radiation infecting those who survive. Chemicals and monsters following people around 'till the grave. Nightmares of pain and agony seeping through the ground seeking to only poison.

Yes. Your words are more powerful than a nuclear bomb.

There is no courage in cutting people down. There is no power in stepping on others to "teach" them something. There is no strength in too many adults that belittled.

BUT

I see courage in kids who stand up for each other and push against the weight of the people looking to oppress them. I see power in the man who steps up to speak out. I see strength in those who are small and defenseless.

Good Deed To Try Out: Next time you hear someone say something careless and hurtful, stand up and protect the one receiving the pain. It may be the final squeeze that completely stops airflow. It may be the squeeze that ends a life. What have you got to lose by loosening a noose for someone else?

Think about what you want to say. Just think.