--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Today, words. Tomorrow, sticks and…" description: "\"Today, words. Tomorrow, sticks and stones. And the day after that?\" — Phillip Adams" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9d/phillip-adams-26945_language_today-words-tomorrow-sticks-and-stones-a_2734654.png" --- # Today, words. Tomorrow, sticks and stones. And the day… ![“Today, words. Tomorrow, sticks and stones. And the day after that?” quote by Phillip Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9d/phillip-adams-26945_language_today-words-tomorrow-sticks-and-stones-a_2734654.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9d/phillip-adams-26945_language_today-words-tomorrow-sticks-and-stones-a_2734654.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9d/phillip-adams-26945_language_today-words-tomorrow-sticks-and-stones-a_2734654.png) > “Today, words. Tomorrow, sticks and stones. And the day after that?” [Phillip Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillip-adams/) ## 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 harm today, but physical aggression may follow later, escalating conflict. **In simple terms:** Words hurt now; violence may follow. Key Takeaway Watch language, avoid escalation. Themes communication conflict violence responsibility Mood concerned reflective Type advice observational When to use this quote - personal relationships - online debates - workplace disputes - bullying - political rhetoric Key Concepts psychology social dynamics cascading aggression Questions to Reflect On - How do you respond when words turn violent? - Can you prevent escalation by choosing language carefully? A Different Perspective Physical harm may not always be a direct result of words. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Sticks and stones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sticks-and-stones/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Tomorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tomorrow/) [Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words/) ## Related quotes > [I can ruin your day with just 3 words, Tomorrow is Monday!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/i-can-ruin-your-day-with-just-3-words-tomorrow-is-monday/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [One of the things that all kids are taught by their parents is this old "sticks and stones will break my bones, but words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/one-of-the-things-that-all-kids-are-taught-by-their-parents-is-this/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [Sticks and stones may break your bones but words can hurt like hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/sticks-and-stones-may-break-your-bones-but-words-can-hurt-like-hell/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [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/) > [..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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [My parents said sticks and stones will break your bones but names will never hurt you. 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You better make them sweet!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/the-words-you-speak-today-could-be-the-words-you-eat-tomorrow-you/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [Stay with me or watch me bleed. I need you to breath…cause today you walked out of my life...cause today you words your words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyssa/stay-with-me-or-watch-me-bleed-i-need-you-to-breath-cause-today-you/) [Alyssa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyssa/) > [“DAY 1   Scripture Meditation:   Proverbs 18:21 - "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-r-davis/day-1-scripture-meditation-proverbs-18-21-death-and-life-are-in-the/) [Lynn R. Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-r-davis/) > [While sticks and stones break bones, words can never hurt? Manifestly untrue. Politics everywhere are holistic, interconnected, and the rhetoric of right or left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillip-adams/while-sticks-and-stones-break-bones-words-can-never-hurt-manifestly/) [Phillip Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillip-adams/) > [Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will always hurt me. Bones mend and become actually stronger in the very place they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/sticks-and-stones-may-break-my-bones-but-words-will-always-hurt-me/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) ## More by Phillip Adams > [Most people can do extraordinary things if they have the confidence or take the risks. Yet most people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillip-adams/most-people-can-do-extraordinary-things-if-they-have-the-confidence/) [Phillip Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillip-adams/) > [Advertising men and politicians are dangerous if they are separated. Together they are diabolical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillip-adams/advertising-men-and-politicians-are-dangerous-if-they-are-separated/) [Phillip Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillip-adams/) > [The Internet provides a delivery system for pathological states of mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillip-adams/the-internet-provides-a-delivery-system-for-pathological-states-of/) [Phillip Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillip-adams/) > [Later, in a different home, I befriended a eucalypt, using a resilient bough as a trampoline. Learning nothing from having plummeted from the peppercorn,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillip-adams/later-in-a-different-home-i-befriended-a-eucalypt-using-a-resilient/) [Phillip Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillip-adams/) > [“I've spent a life-time attacking religious beliefs and have not wavered from a view of the universe that many would regard as bleak. 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No radio program, anywhere on Earth, casts a wider net.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillip-adams/it-s-a-privilege-to-present-late-night-live-no-radio-program-anywhere/) [Phillip Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillip-adams/) > [While sticks and stones break bones, words can never hurt? Manifestly untrue. Politics everywhere are holistic, interconnected, and the rhetoric of right or left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillip-adams/while-sticks-and-stones-break-bones-words-can-never-hurt-manifestly/) [Phillip Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillip-adams/) [Explore all 21 Phillip Adams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillip-adams/) ## More Language quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) Ted Martinez > [Usually male directors have to use foul language to get the job done. 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Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [“I only have two words to say More or Less”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timbur/i-only-have-two-words-to-say-more-or-less/) TimBur > [It's like saying French shouldn't be taught because you don't understand it because it's new. Shakespeare is just like learning a new, exciting language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/it-s-like-saying-french-shouldn-t-be-taught-because-you-don-t/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [I am attracted to looking at the different things language can mean even in one sometimes quite ordinary utterance. Writing is partly about listening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-armantrout/i-am-attracted-to-looking-at-the-different-things-language-can-mean/) [Rae Armantrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-armantrout/) > [What is music? Music is language. A human being wants to express ideas in this language, but not ideas that can be translated into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-webern/what-is-music-music-is-language-a-human-being-wants-to-express-ideas/) [Anton Webern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-webern/) > [You're beautiful, cute, pretty, gorgeous, and fuck.. I ran out of words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghib-clitso/you-re-beautiful-cute-pretty-gorgeous-and-fuck-i-ran-out-of-words/) [Raghib Clitso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghib-clitso/) > [The world has a soul and whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of many things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-world-has-a-soul-and-whoever-understands-that-soul-can-also/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“The words for what I want to say right now don't exist. Everything sounds…so cliché.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelly-crane/the-words-for-what-i-want-to-say-right-now-don-t-exist-everything/) [Shelly Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelly-crane/) > [A man cannot speak but he judges himself. With his will or against his will he draws his portrait to the eye of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-man-cannot-speak-but-he-judges-himself-with-his-will-or-against-his/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Words can kill you trust towards someone, mind you language people, every reaction had its consequence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/words-can-kill-you-trust-towards-someone-mind-you-language-people/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Finxerunt animi, raro et perpauca loquentis. (To action little, less to words inclinded.)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/finxerunt-animi-raro-et-perpauca-loquentis-to-action-little-less-to/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [For comedy action, I must know the language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammo-hung/for-comedy-action-i-must-know-the-language/) [Sammo Hung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammo-hung/) [Browse all 21,951 Language quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Today, words. Tomorrow, sticks and stones. 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