--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sticks and stones will break your bones…" description: "\"“Sticks and stones will break your bones, but now words can kill, too.”\" — Chuck Palahniuk" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c58/chuck-palahniuk-37_sticks-and-stones_sticks-and-stones-will-break-your-bones_1330345.jpg" --- # Sticks and stones will break your bones, but now words can… ![“Sticks and stones will break your bones, but now words can kill, too.” quote by Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c58/chuck-palahniuk-37_sticks-and-stones_sticks-and-stones-will-break-your-bones_1330345.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c58/chuck-palahniuk-37_sticks-and-stones_sticks-and-stones-will-break-your-bones_1330345.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c58/chuck-palahniuk-37_sticks-and-stones_sticks-and-stones-will-break-your-bones_1330345.jpg) > ““Sticks and stones will break your bones, but now words can kill, too.”” [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Words can cause deep psychological harm, sometimes as damaging as physical injury. **In simple terms:** Words can hurt as much as blows. Key Takeaway Choose language carefully to avoid harm. Themes communication psychology violence media Mood cautionary reflective Type social psychological When to use this quote - online harassment - media criticism - personal relationships Key Concepts emotional impact social responsibility bullying Questions to Reflect On - When have words caused you real pain? - How can we balance free speech with emotional safety? A Different Perspective Not all words are equally harmful; context matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bones Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bones-words/) [Break Bones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break-bones/) [Sticks and stones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sticks-and-stones/) [Sticks Stones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sticks-stones/) [Stones Break](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stones-break/) [Words can kill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-can-kill/) [Words Kill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-kill-254546/) ## Related quotes > [Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but words can kill me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rayy/sticks-and-stones-may-break-my-bones-but-words-can-kill-me/) [Rayy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rayy/) > [“Stick and stones may break your bones and words can kill you too”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/stick-and-stones-may-break-your-bones-and-words-can-kill-you-too/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Sticks and stones may break my bones but words are what will kill me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sticks-and-stones-may-break-my-bones-but-words-are-what-will-kill-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will make you go into a corner by myself and cry for hours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-idle/sticks-and-stones-may-break-my-bones-but-words-will-make-you-go-into/) [Eric Idle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-idle/) > [“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but your words...they'll destroy my soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-giovanni/sticks-and-stones-may-break-my-bones-but-your-words-they-ll-destroy/) [Cassandra Giovanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-giovanni/) > [Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can do much worse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madi/sticks-and-stones-may-break-my-bones-but-words-can-do-much-worse/) [Madi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madi/) > [Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will make me go in a corner and cry by myself for hours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-idle/sticks-and-stones-may-break-my-bones-but-words-will-make-me-go-in-a/) [Eric Idle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-idle/) > [“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words have the power to destroy me”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellie-messe/sticks-and-stones-may-break-my-bones-but-words-have-the-power-to/) [Ellie Messe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellie-messe/) > [“sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will make me cry by myself in a corner for hours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-idle/sticks-and-stones-will-break-my-bones-but-words-will-make-me-cry-by/) [Eric Idle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-idle/) > [“Stick and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/stick-and-stones-may-break-your-bones-but-words-will-never-hurt-you/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“Sticks and stones may break your bones, but watch out for those damn words.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/sticks-and-stones-may-break-your-bones-but-watch-out-for-those-damn/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“Sticks and stones keep breaking my bones but these words, these words will kill me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/sticks-and-stones-keep-breaking-my-bones-but-these-words-these-words/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [“AaaSticks and stones can break your bones and words can make you queasy or crazy, the more so when you identify them with what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/aaasticks-and-stones-can-break-your-bones-and-words-can-make-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Sticks and stones can break your bones but names can never hurt you," and how it's all backwards. Sticks and stones and fists CAN…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mia-sheridan/sticks-and-stones-can-break-your-bones-but-names-can-never-hurt-you/) [Mia Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mia-sheridan/) > [“Sticks and stones may break our bones, but words will break our hearts”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fulghum/sticks-and-stones-may-break-our-bones-but-words-will-break-our-hearts/) [Robert Fulghum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fulghum/) ## More by Chuck Palahniuk > [Because after you've crossed some lines, you just keep crossing them. And there's no escaping from constant escape. Distracting ourselves. Avoiding confrontation. Getting past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/because-after-you-ve-crossed-some-lines-you-just-keep-crossing-them/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [According to Plato, we don't learn anything. Our soul has lived so many lives that we know everything. Teachers and education can only remind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/according-to-plato-we-don-t-learn-anything-our-soul-has-lived-so-many/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [His saliva tasted like the wet dicks of ten thousand lonely truck drivers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/his-saliva-tasted-like-the-wet-dicks-of-ten-thousand-lonely-truck/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“shoulder. They weigh that much. Tyler’s a banquet waiter,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/shoulder-they-weigh-that-much-tyler-s-a-banquet-waiter/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [We'll never be as young as we are tonight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/we-ll-never-be-as-young-as-we-are-tonight/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“We drive west the rest of the night, away from where the sun will come up, trying to outrace it, trying not to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/we-drive-west-the-rest-of-the-night-away-from-where-the-sun-will-come/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Just for the record, how I feel right now is very terrific.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/just-for-the-record-how-i-feel-right-now-is-very-terrific/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Nobody's told me anything to date that I've been completely reviled by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/nobody-s-told-me-anything-to-date-that-i-ve-been-completely-reviled-by/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“Then you're trapped in your lovely nest, and the things you used to own, now they own you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/then-you-re-trapped-in-your-lovely-nest-and-the-things-you-used-to/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Some stories, you use up. Others use you up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/some-stories-you-use-up-others-use-you-up/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Verbs allow you to communicate a story in a much more converged or involuntary way for a reader. The verbs allow you to come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/verbs-allow-you-to-communicate-a-story-in-a-much-more-converged-or/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Waiters will always pee in soup, people will always fall in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/waiters-will-always-pee-in-soup-people-will-always-fall-in-love/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“Branch Bacardi, star of The Da Vinci Load, To Drill a Mockingbird, The Postman Always Cums Twice, Chitty Chitty Gang Bang, The Twilight Bone,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/branch-bacardi-star-of-the-da-vinci-load-to-drill-a-mockingbird-the/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“Every unkind remark or crude gesture by others is a blessing, an opportunity to exercise our own capacity to forgive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/every-unkind-remark-or-crude-gesture-by-others-is-a-blessing-an/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“Nuestro deber es enseñar a esos hombres y mujeres la libertad a través de la esclavitud; y el coraje a través del miedo.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/nuestro-deber-es-ense-ar-a-esos-hombres-y-mujeres-la-libertad-a-trav/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) [Explore all 2,041 Chuck Palahniuk quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) ## More Sticks and stones quotes > [“They call it a “Whippoorwill” because the call it makes sounds exactly like it’s saying “WHIPPOOR-WILLL,” but in a whistle. Oh it doesn’t stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-rohrig/they-call-it-a-whippoorwill-because-the-call-it-makes-sounds-exactly/) [Kyle Rohrig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-rohrig/) > [Colin thought about the dork mantra: sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. What a dirty lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/colin-thought-about-the-dork-mantra-sticks-and-stones-may-break-my/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“What is that old children’s rhyme, ‘Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me’? Anyone who says that doesn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/what-is-that-old-children-s-rhyme-sticks-and-stones-may-break-my/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [Trust the one Who's been where you are wishing all it was Was sticks and stones Those words cut deep but they don't mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-hayes/trust-the-one-who-s-been-where-you-are-wishing-all-it-was-was-sticks/) [Hunter Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-hayes/) > [“Sticks and stones may break our bones, but words will break our hearts”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fulghum/sticks-and-stones-may-break-our-bones-but-words-will-break-our-hearts/) [Robert Fulghum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fulghum/) > [My parents said sticks and stones will break your bones but names will never hurt you. But I always felt a sense of exhilaration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-franti/my-parents-said-sticks-and-stones-will-break-your-bones-but-names/) [Michael Franti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-franti/) > [“Sticks and stones will break your bones, but failure will get you killed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/sticks-and-stones-will-break-your-bones-but-failure-will-get-you/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [I'm not the only kid who grew up this way, surrounded by people who used to say that rhyme about sticks and stones, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-koyczan/i-m-not-the-only-kid-who-grew-up-this-way-surrounded-by-people-who/) [Shane Koyczan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-koyczan/) > [I felt bad about myself because certain people were relentlessly attacking me and my reputation. My mom kept saying 'Let it go, Lauren, It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-conrad/i-felt-bad-about-myself-because-certain-people-were-relentlessly/) [Lauren Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-conrad/) > [..and only sticks and stones can break my bones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-haddon/and-only-sticks-and-stones-can-break-my-bones/) [Mark Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-haddon/) > [“Sticks and stones are hard on bones, Aimed with angry art, Words can sting like anything But silence breaks the heart.’ Phyllis McGinley, "Ballade…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilliana-anderson/sticks-and-stones-are-hard-on-bones-aimed-with-angry-art-words-can/) [Lilliana Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilliana-anderson/) > [“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but I might be a vampire so I don't give a shit. I'll heal”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-showalter/sticks-and-stones-may-break-my-bones-but-i-might-be-a-vampire-so-i/) [Gena Showalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-showalter/) > [“Sticks and stones may break my bones’, as they say in the Middle Worlds, but with the right words you can build a world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanne-harris/sticks-and-stones-may-break-my-bones-as-they-say-in-the-middle-worlds/) [Joanne Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanne-harris/) > [A liar is one of the nastiest people on the face of the earth. Whoever said sticks and stones may break my bones, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-p/a-liar-is-one-of-the-nastiest-people-on-the-face-of-the-earth-whoever/) [Donna P](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-p/) > [Now sticks 'n' stones'll break ya bones, a little tokin' never hurt no one. Let's toke, toke, toke about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-tesla/now-sticks-n-stones-ll-break-ya-bones-a-little-tokin-never-hurt-no/) [Nikola Tesla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikola-tesla/) [Browse all 166 Sticks and stones quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sticks-and-stones/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Sticks and stones will break your bones, but now words can kill, too.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Chuck Palahniuk" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/sticks-and-stones-will-break-your-bones-but-now-words-can-kill-too/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Sticks and stones" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/sticks-and-stones-will-break-your-bones-but-now-words-can-kill-too/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c58/chuck-palahniuk-37_sticks-and-stones_sticks-and-stones-will-break-your-bones_1330345.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c58/chuck-palahniuk-37_sticks-and-stones_sticks-and-stones-will-break-your-bones_1330345.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c58/chuck-palahniuk-37_sticks-and-stones_sticks-and-stones-will-break-your-bones_1330345.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Sticks and stones will break your bones, but now words can kill, too.” — Chuck Palahniuk", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Chuck Palahniuk", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Sticks and stones will break your...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/sticks-and-stones-will-break-your-bones-but-now-words-can-kill-too/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/sticks-and-stones-will-break-your-bones-but-now-words-can-kill-too/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```