It may often be that those live long who are slain with words alone.

Thursday's are Viking quote days although I'm doing every second Thursday now and interspersing my, think like a leader, series on the alternate week. Sometimes I choose a quote randomly and sometimes based upon relevance or meaning to my life, and share some thoughts on it. These thousand year old phrases still offer value in modern society. _{original im src}

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This week's Viking quote

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It may often be that those live long who are slain with words alone.

_{- Njal's Saga -}

If we are all honest it could be said that we've spoken harshly, with contempt or disrespect to others at some stage of our lives; I can't speak for you though, however I know I have and whilst it speaks poorly of my character in those moments, I'm honest enough to admit that I'm human and, as such, have faults and failings.

In my life I've been subjected to wrongdoing; treatment I didn't deserve. It started as a young child when I first went to school where I was racially vilified because I was a different colour to the others. It hurt a lot, emotionally, (and physically). I was five years old after all, too young to understand the reasons for it, but old enough to feel the hurt.

I learned quickly though, began to understand people, their capacity for hate and selfishness, the desire to follow the pack like lemmings, their fear of standing apart and what lack of self-esteem can do to their character.

I learned about people's characters...and built my own in the process.

Their words were hurtful; I'd go home crying, generated a great anger and hatred of the treatment I received, and those handing it out and even wondered what about me was so terribly different, so heinous that I was subjected to that treatment. It changed who I was, a happy little boy with a great propensity for generosity, caring and selflessness changed into a boy who expected the worst from people.

Fortunately the person I truly was held firm and my character came through. I came to realise I wasn't any of the things they told me I was and that those people held sway over me only if I allowed it. I came to the realisation that their words, whilst terribly hurtful, couldn't kill me, my character or innate attributes. I learned I wouldn't let them change me.

I grew up helping others, sharing, standing up for those who couldn't do so for themselves, taking away and onto myself that which may harm or hurt others where possible. It came easy to me. The treatment I received at the hands of others simply deepened my true character and through helping others, doing good things, I found enough happiness to outweigh the emotions over what I was subjected to.

It wasn't until much later in life when I truly came to understand that those moments, bad as they were, had prepared me to be the man I am today. Do I like people saying bad things about me? No, of course not, but it happens, to us all. These days, if it happens, I see it for what it is, someone else's opinion, and there's nothing I can do to change a perception others have of me, only they can do that. But, words, nah they can't kill me, and so I'm ok with it, people can do as they please.

I wish those things didn't happen to me as a little kid and into my teens but they did and I can't change it. However...in a way I'm glad also. They shaped me, helped me learn so many lessons about people's ability to hate, their fear the unknown, selfishness and their hurtful and self-possessed behaviours. Those moments, and others later in life, taught me that humans can be terrible creatures. But I learned other things also.

I learned about my capacity to deal with adversity, my ability to know when something requires swift and brutal action and when it's time to stop a moment and think before acting. I learned that not everyone has to matter to me, that some people simply aren't worthy of my trust or care, and that some are worth laying down my life for should it come to that. I learned I have a great need to protect those who cannot do so for themselves, and that the amount of weight I can carry on my shoulders, in my heart and soul, is almost immeasurable. I guess, in a nutshell, I learned how to be a man; the best I know how.

Looking at this quote, and applying it to myself, I see that the child [me] grew into the wolf [also me]; albeit with the ability to determine when to hold and when to fight. I'm good at those things, but also adept at evaluating when to do each and to what degree. I have a balanced approach when it comes to dealing with verbal abuse and will act according to the situation at hand remembering that a few words can't kill me.

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That's it for this week, a thousand year-old Viking quote about the benefits of seeing words for what they are, that no matter how terrible they are, they're just words, not swords or axes. I think, in this social-media-loaded world where online bullying is so prevalent it's a good lesson to remember. A person's words spoken against us only have power should we allow it, they only live if we breathe life into them.

Please feel free to disagree with my interpretation and add your own in the comments below.

Skol.

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