Hi. I am wondering if there is anyone who can help me edit my rough draft of a cause and effect essay. I have written it on the power of words. It is below. Thank you to anyone. I need to pull my grade up from a C. I think this is how it works, that I just paste it here. I am willing to help others as well. If this is posted wrong please tell me!
Thanks a ton!
"I'm made of rubber and you of glue. What bounces off of me, sticks to you" as well as "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me", are simple sayings that have been repeated over many generations of children. They originated to aid one individual the ability to say something back to another individual that is slinging mean remarks. What they convey is not necessarily the truth. The reality is that words really do hurt. They may not leave a visible bruise, but they definitely leave a mark on our sense of well-being, sometimes a permanent scar. Words are a very powerful force that can have very powerful effects. Many people underestimate the power of their words as well as how they affect others or even themselves. Whether the words that are said come out negative or positive in meaning, each one has an effect that is equivalent of it. Sometimes words are meant to instill fear of a child and encourage an improvement. Some words are meant as a compliment and used to build confidence. It is important to be impeccable with the words we choose, albeit positive or negative, the effects can be profound.
Words that are positive or negative remain with us in our sub-conscious and become pictures of what we hold ourselves to be. Words can be perceived differently than the original intent of the person speaking those words. If a boss says to an employee, say his name is Jeff, that the new employee is doing a far better job than Jeff is and the new person is not making any of the mistakes Jeff ever made. The boss's intent is to motivate Jeff that he needs to work harder to keep up with the new employee and not look bad. As a result of the negative remarks from the boss, Jeff was not encouraged to improve, but ended up having hurt feelings and a lower self-esteem. The desired effect was not obtained. The boss could have conveyed the same message by using words that are more positive.
A kindergartener is told she is stupid and will never make it in life if she does not sit still and listen. This instance happens many times over that first impressionable year of school. The teacher has belittled the child so much that she now feels she is stupid and useless. Entering greater grades of elementary, she continues to feel stupid and degrade herself. Her mother is exasperated with the situation and starts to compare her daughter to her older sibling saying, "Why can't you be more like your brother, he is so smart and hardly has to work at this". Her mother is truly trying to instill a sense of fear of failure to encourage her to try harder. Because the mother gave out negative words, the result was that the girl did not feel important, loved or cared about. Hence, she continued to have low self-esteem and did not improve. If the words had not been negative, the girl might have felt more valued, important and loved with an effect very different than the negative words, of improvement and confidence.
Name-calling is very common in childhood and continues through some people's entire adulthood. This is often overlooked as far as how it affects people. As parents advising our children when they come home complaining that some of the other children are calling them names. The most common advice dished out tends to be "just ignore the other children, they will eventually stop". Adults tend to forget they were once their children's age, and how those names hurt them so. Hurt feelings, misunderstandings and in the worst cases, depression can occur. However, as adults we rarely allow others to disrespect and berate us but tend to be the hardest on ourselves. There is still name-calling; it is in the form of the names we call ourselves. The pervasive effects are not limited to but include berating ourselves for the mistakes we make or derogatory remarks to ourselves that we are unfit for what society requires because a little failure. We are our own worst critics. No one can be harder on them self then one-self. This intern can cause low self-esteem or even a lack of desire to improve or change.
When advising others or children, giving positive words to encourage, support and aid for improvement, we can make them feel they are worthwhile. Another cause could be to make children feel that they have a characteristic or a moral they have not yet acquired. As a result, they will gain self-confidence and will eventually acquire these traits without realizing it. Thus making their self-esteem higher and becoming capable of succeeding. This scenario could also work with negative words, causing people to feel bad and think poorly of themselves, also causing lack of will to succeed.
We are constantly giving ourselves messages that are not always clear. Some are negative and derogatory, and others are positive and vital. While giving ourselves these messages we tend not to see how it can be affecting those around us. Keeping company with people who are negative about everything and everyone can be virtually debilitating. The negative vibe, the constant complaining can infiltrate others. Those who are constantly negative are usually angry and depressed people; they are negative in their words and in their thoughts. They are not realizing that life is passing them by and are missing the simple pleasures in life.
The powers of positive words are limitless. Thus giving way for higher self-esteem, ambition, dreams, success and an ability to appreciate things in life. There are ways to change the pattern of words, which can change a person's self-image. There is an old saying, "He/She is his/her own worst enemy". This means that he/she is self-defeating. No matter what they try to do, their self-image is so poor they cannot win. Becoming our own best friend rather than our own enemy is a matter of practicing our self-discipline.
To aid in changing the pattern of our words we can practice many things such as, giving and receiving compliments. This is hard to do when self-esteem is low, to hear someone say something nice about us and have enough confidence to voice a compliment to another for fear of rejection. Another is, to practice responding rather that to react. Meaning that responding is to think before saying something. Questioning the thought as to whether it is a negative or a positive thought. Then be impeccable with our words. Speaking with integrity, truth and love, we send out a clear and kind as possible message. Another way to practice changing our pattern is to read and remember positive words or sayings. Placing them around our homes or workspaces can give a more meaningful recollection when we need to use them, even if it is just to inspire ourselves for the moment.
By thinking before we speak, saying positive things, giving advise that shows we care aid in others self-esteem as well as our own. Negative words are like a little hole in the dirt that we keep digging bigger. The more negativity the deeper the hole gets. Because of the constant negativity, the hole is now a very deep crater that is almost impossible to get out of, without hard work. In that hole, we are missing a life that can be filled with joys and happiness. On the other hand, positive words are like a butterfly net that catches the wonderful things in life, promoting high self-esteem, confidence and the capability to succeed.
A word is defined as a distinct meaningful element in speech, writings or thoughts. Speaking for some is as easy as breathing. Many of our words are uttered without a conscious thought. Our words give out messages and create a reaction from others, sometimes ourselves, constantly generating a ripple effect in our own life as well as others. Because of constant negativity, the effects can spread beyond words. Eventually it can cause problems with the immune system from the stress, as well as increased blood pressure, ulcers, mental illness and increase the aging process. Words are powerful and can inspire and show love, and they can berate and hurt. Being impeccable with our words is a positive act. Words can and do determine our self-images and our futures, as well as the images and futures of those around us, making the word a profound element.
