--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sticks and stones may break your bones…" description: "\"“Sticks and stones may break your bones but words can break hearts.”\" — Tim Minchin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16c/tim-minchin-3287_comedy_sticks-and-stones-may-break-your-bones-b_1842082.png" --- # Sticks and stones may break your bones but words can break… ![“Sticks and stones may break your bones but words can break hearts.” quote by Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16c/tim-minchin-3287_comedy_sticks-and-stones-may-break-your-bones-b_1842082.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16c/tim-minchin-3287_comedy_sticks-and-stones-may-break-your-bones-b_1842082.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16c/tim-minchin-3287_comedy_sticks-and-stones-may-break-your-bones-b_1842082.png) > ““Sticks and stones may break your bones but words can break hearts.”” [Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/) ## 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 harm, more lasting than physical injury. **In simple terms:** Words hurt deeper than stones. Key Takeaway Speak kindly, consider impact. Themes communication empathy psychology Mood reflective cautionary Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - relationships - social media - education - mental health Key Concepts emotional intelligence social influence Questions to Reflect On - How do you respond to harsh words? - What language heals? A Different Perspective People may underestimate verbal impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Sticks and stones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sticks-and-stones/) ## Related quotes > [“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/) > [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 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 > [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 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 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 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/) > [“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 may break my bones, but words will always hurt me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/sticks-and-stones-may-break-my-bones-but-words-will-always-hurt-me-2/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [“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 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/) > [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 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/) ## More by Tim Minchin > [Because I'm on my own on stage and wear bare feet and look like a pixie, people always think I'm little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/because-i-m-on-my-own-on-stage-and-wear-bare-feet-and-look-like-a/) [Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/) > [Fight for what is true. 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