“Hard words break no bones.”-Hen Thorir's Saga, c.13 by Mark Hatmaker
Here we have the Viking equivalent of “ Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.” It is telling that the advice has been around for centuries in many iterations and yet we still have need to remind ourselves of it because, to be frank, many of us still equate words with acts. Insults with blows. Hot air with tangibles. The wise warrior sees acts as facts and all words as vaporings until they manifest into an act. All utterings unless or until expressed in an action are essentially valueless, be the words expressed hard, soft, impressive, or loving. My stated New Year’s Resolutions not acted upon are lies, my expressions of love backed by indifference or apathy in a relationship are the same. My insults or threats may very well be akin to the impotent bluster of the spoiled brat. The wise warrior hears words of all categories, but he only heeds words from individuals with a track record for actions. The friend who is
