--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Colin thought about the dork mantra…" description: "\"“Colin thought about the dork mantra: sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. What a dirty lie. This, right here, was the t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c80/john-green-12_sticks-and-stones_colin-thought-about-the-dork-mantra-stic_2372036.jpg" --- # Colin thought about the dork mantra: sticks and stones may… ![“Colin thought about the dork mantra: sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. What a dirty lie. This, right here, was the true abdominal snowman: it felt like something freezing in his stomach. "I love you so much and I just want you to love me like I love you," he said…” quote by John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c80/john-green-12_sticks-and-stones_colin-thought-about-the-dork-mantra-stic_2372036.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c80/john-green-12_sticks-and-stones_colin-thought-about-the-dork-mantra-stic_2372036.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c80/john-green-12_sticks-and-stones_colin-thought-about-the-dork-mantra-stic_2372036.jpg) > ““Colin thought about the dork mantra: sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. What a dirty lie. This, right here, was the true abdominal snowman: it felt like something freezing in his stomach. "I love you so much and I just want you to love me like I love you," he said as softly as he could. "You don't need a girlfriend, Colin. You need a robot who says nothing but 'I love you.”” [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote critiques the naive belief that words are harmless, exposing how emotional pain can be as visceral as physical injury. **In simple terms:** Words can hurt deeply, not just physically. Key Takeaway Recognize the power of words. Themes emotional pain vulnerability truth Mood reflective somber Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - relationships - self‑esteem - mental health - communication Key Concepts psychology language impact Questions to Reflect On - How do you protect yourself from harmful words? - When have words helped you heal? A Different Perspective Words can also heal, not only hurt. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Sticks and stones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sticks-and-stones/) ## Related quotes > [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/) > [“As the staggered lines rushed past him, the space between what we predict and what will happen. 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A nonhotboy stares at you relentlessly and it is, at best, awkward and, at worst, a form of assault. But a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/he-was-hot-a-nonhotboy-stares-at-you-relentlessly-and-it-is-at-best/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I think if you keep the box closed long enough you do kill the cat, actually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-think-if-you-keep-the-box-closed-long-enough-you-do-kill-the-cat/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia. (...) You spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth, thinking about how you'll escape it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/imagining-the-future-is-a-kind-of-nostalgia-you-spend-your-whole-life/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) [Explore all 3,614 John Green quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## 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. 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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 > [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": "“Colin thought about the dork mantra: sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. What a dirty lie. This, right here, was the true abdominal snowman: it felt like something freezing in his stomach. \"I love you so much and I just want you to love me like I love you,\" he said as softly as he could. \"You don't need a girlfriend, Colin. 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