The Sentence.

[Audley Strange]

One of my good friends, who is a psychologist and who works with special needs adults and I had a conversation when he was over the other night in which he posited the idea that for every human there is a phrase or a sentence that would cause them catastrophic psychological damage. He was talking about the concept of "triggering" but suggested that while such can be obvious in victims of severe trauma he wondered if such could be possible for everyone. That in the back of the mind a tiny flaw, something from early childhood that has scabbed over but could easily be unravelled.

We were just shooting the shit as we did, but it did get me thinking about it and wouldn't that be a horrible thought?

[Jason]

Isn't life a terrible thing?

I suspect if it could occur in anyone, not just trauma victims, then we would have clear evidence of it given the bombardment of media we exist in today. Someone with the trigger phrase "Catch one banana on salad." may not have heard theirs, but I'm presuming these phrases are sensical. I mean, if we had to live in the fear that someday, somewhere, and somehow, we'll hear the exact random noise that is our trigger phrase I'm pretty sure I can deal.

[FBM]

"You have to go back and live with your ex for the rest of your life."

I suspect that would do quite a few people in, me included.

[JimC]

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me...

[Hermit]

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me...

The pen is mightier than the sword.

But, yeah, I think the notion that "for every human there is a phrase or a sentence that would cause them catastrophic psychological damage" is rubbish.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the President of the United States, Mitt Romney!"

[Rum]

Somewhat akin to voodoo really. I can't see it myself. Words that have hurt me in the past have tended to be ones said with deep feeling when having a row with someone. The pain caused but the knowledge that the hurtful thing being said is very likely to be totally believed by the person saying it and therefore possibly true in some way.

[Trinity]

I think what Audley's saying though is not so much the content/face value of the words, but the effect on the psyche that those words, triggering a suppressed early trauma or upsetting event, would have.

[Hermit]

I think what Audley's saying though is not so much the content/face value of the words, but the effect on the psyche that those words, triggering a suppressed early trauma or upsetting event, would have.

Yes, of course. And I think it's rubbish. Orwell's room 101 was more convincing than that.

[Rum]

I think what Audley's saying though is not so much the content/face value of the words, but the effect on the psyche that those words, triggering a suppressed early trauma or upsetting event, would have.

Yes, of course. And I think it's rubbish. Orwell's room 101 was more convincing than that.

I think it was a shooting the breeze idea and not meant to be taken too seriously.

I can't think of any set of words that would have that sort of impact on me, but one can image a form of words said to a severely traumatised person (say someone who suffered extreme childhood abuse) which could 'trigger' the emotions to some extent.. (with apologies for the use of the T word!)

[Trinity]

I think what Audley's saying though is not so much the content/face value of the words, but the effect on the psyche that those words, triggering a suppressed early trauma or upsetting event, would have.

Yes, of course. And I think it's rubbish. Orwell's room 101 was more convincing than that.

I think it was a shooting the breeze idea and not meant to be taken too seriously.

I can't think of any set of words that would have that sort of impact on me, but one can image a form of words said to a severely traumatised person (say someone who suffered extreme childhood abuse) which could 'trigger' the emotions to some extent.. (with apologies for the use of the T word!)

I think, in my case, as someone who has suffered a lot of trauma as a child, it's not so much the words I could hear, but someone else's behaviour or set of circumstances that would be a trigger.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I think, in my case, as someone who has suffered a lot of trauma as a child, it's not so much the words I could hear, but someone else's behaviour or set of circumstances that would be a trigger.

"You have to give someone permission to piss you off. If you don't, ain't gonna happen." I learned that early, saved me a lot of pain later. Doesn't work perfectly, but if you can remind yourself of that you can ameliorate the hurt to some extent.

[pErvinalia]

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the President of the United States, Mitt Romney!"

For us Australians "Ladies and Gentlemen, the Prime Minister of Australia, Tony Abbott!".

[Robert_S]

A certain sentence said by a certain person in a cetain context maybe...

"Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can make me think I deserve it" -xkcd

[Ayaan]

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me...

Bruises fade, cuts heal, bones mend, but words can cut so deeply that you bleed for the rest of your life.