During a spirited meeting a physician stated: “sticks and stones can break your bones, but words can never hurt you.” Although that once was common childhood advice, we now know that words can hurt ( Bowen, 2022 Words can hurt: The role of leadership in the passionate workplace of the twenty first century. A discussion about individual sensitivity and pathocratic influence in the academic (university) environment.

International Journal of Academic Management Science Research (IJAMSR). 2022; 6: 26-45

). Anyone who has been on the receiving end of unkind or cruel words knows that the resulting injuries can take far longer to heal than broken bones ( Eisenberger and Lieberman, 2004 Eisenberger N.I. Lieberman M.D. Why rejection hurts: A common neural alarm system for physical and social pain.

Trends in Cognitive Sciences. 2004; 8: 294-300

; Ferris et al., 2019 Ferris Laura J. Jetten Jolanda Hornsey Matthew J. Bastian Brock Feeling hurt: revisiting the relationship between social and physical pain.

Review of General Psychology. 2019; 23: 320-335

). In fact, in some instances healing of the damage inflected by words may never occur, resulting in depression, body dysmorphia, or agoraphobia. In the worst situations the damage can be fatal as a result of failure to thrive, suicide, or not seeking needed care.