As a child you may remember calling out "sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me!" An idiom certainly dating back to the mid 1800's as a way of defying the bullies. 

But was it ever the case, or was it just a way of refusing to let the bully know the truth. 

Certainly in recent years words can be seen to be a major cause of concern. Part of Words matter week is the highlight the idea that cruel words can do serious harm. This some more poignant than ever in the internet age. People cannot hit you through the screen with sticks or stones, but they surely can with words. Internet bullying is a serious problem, and can lead to the victims causing the sticks and stones hurt upon themselves in extreme cases even suicide. 

So what do you think. Are words more harmful on the whole today than physical threat. And how do we best deal with that?

Do you remember a time or times in your life when words stung harder than sticks and stones? 

Naturism is seen as a way of finding comfort and confidence - does it toughen you and help protect you from words? 

Is there a simple way of allowing words not to hurt that indivuals could put into practise?

Have you ever been verbally attacked for your naturism - online or in the 3D world? 

I think mental violence can be as harmful as physical violence. In school especially in swimming classes there was a lot of bullying in the changing room. I got some bad things to hear there but it never bothered me because I knew there is not a single problem with my body. I was introduced to naturism very early and I knew what a “normal” body looks. Later in my life I told my wife what I got to hear there. She told me she would have suffered so much under these words because she grew up totally different than me. I think naturism can be a good tool for being more resistant to these kind of mental hazards in everybody’s life. Sorry for my bad English ;) 

Thanks for sharing this Julius. There is a lot of important points captured in that short paragraph.