--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sticks and stones may break my bones, but…" description: "\"“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will always hurt me.”\" — Stephen Fry" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/207/stephen-fry-573_hurt_sticks-and-stones-may-break-my-bones-but_1333060.png" --- # Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will… ![“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will always hurt me.” quote by Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/207/stephen-fry-573_hurt_sticks-and-stones-may-break-my-bones-but_1333060.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/207/stephen-fry-573_hurt_sticks-and-stones-may-break-my-bones-but_1333060.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/207/stephen-fry-573_hurt_sticks-and-stones-may-break-my-bones-but_1333060.png) > ““Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will always hurt me.”” [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) ## 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 emotional pain, often more lasting than physical harm. **In simple terms:** Words can hurt more than stones. Key Takeaway Choose words carefully. Themes communication emotional harm vulnerability Mood reflective cautionary Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - relationships - online interactions - bullying - conflict resolution Key Concepts psychology language impact Questions to Reflect On - How do you protect yourself from harmful words? - Can words be healed? A Different Perspective Physical wounds heal faster than emotional ones. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bones Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bones-words-523785/) [Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurt/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Sticks and stones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sticks-and-stones/) [Sticks Stones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sticks-stones-293253/) [Stones Break](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stones-break-523784/) [Words hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-hurt/) ## Related quotes > [Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sticks-and-stones-may-break-my-bones-but-words-will-never-hurt-me-3/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me - such bullshit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/sticks-and-stones-may-break-my-bones-but-words-can-never-hurt-me-such/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [Sticks and stones may break my bones but words may never hurt me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sticks-and-stones-may-break-my-bones-but-words-may-never-hurt-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sticks and stones will break our bones, but words will break our hearts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fulghum/sticks-and-stones-will-break-our-bones-but-words-will-break-our-hearts/) [Robert Fulghum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fulghum/) > [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 can break my bones but words can never hurt me unless they are written on sticks and stones.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nitya-prakash/sticks-and-stones-can-break-my-bones-but-words-can-never-hurt-me/) [Nitya Prakash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nitya-prakash/) > [Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can make me think I deserved it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-munroe/sticks-and-stones-may-break-my-bones-but-words-can-make-me-think-i/) [Randall Munroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-munroe/) > [“Sticks and stones may break your bones but words can break hearts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/sticks-and-stones-may-break-your-bones-but-words-can-break-hearts/) [Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/) > [“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 can only break bones; but words can shatter the soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-savage/sticks-and-stones-can-only-break-bones-but-words-can-shatter-the-soul/) [Adam Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-savage/) > [“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/) > [“The old saw that "sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never harm me" does not, in fact, hold true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-spence/the-old-saw-that-sticks-and-stones-can-break-my-bones-but-words-will/) [Gerry Spence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-spence/) > [“Sticks and stones will break your bones, but now words can kill, too.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/sticks-and-stones-will-break-your-bones-but-now-words-can-kill-too/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will break my soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-lopez/sticks-and-stones-may-break-my-bones-but-words-will-break-my-soul/) [Kathryn Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-lopez/) > [“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 Stephen Fry > [“...Catholic versus Protestant, essentially. 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