For me, the war in Ukraine, on a macro scale, proved that a physical attack is much worse than a verbal one.
We do not like verbal attacks. If someone insults us, most of us feel stressed. I try to be in the minority of people who do not perceive verbal attacks as aggression. Why? It is because words do not hurt anyhow. The only thing that can hurt us is what our minds will do with insults and how they will transform them. If someone punches me in the face, if I don’t have a bit of luck, my head can hit the ground, and I can lose consciousness, get into a coma state, or even die. If someone shouts the worst possible insults at me, I can simply go away. That’s the point.
That’s the main difference between verbal and physical attacks. On a macro scale, when politicians or diplomats from different countries argue, they only argue.
Of course, many people can feel stressed. Still, no one dies. Contrary to the situation when the fucking Putin’s army bombards civilians in Ukraine. This physical attack can quickly kill every one of us. Of course, regarding insults, tough talks, and verbal aggression, it is convenient to write about them and not listen to them. Still, when I hear words that could hurt me, I always try to remind myself that these words cannot harm or influence me. I can reject it and live. Contrary to physical attack.
Physical aggression can make me disappear and dissipate forever.
It is impossible to program one’s mind so one won’t feel anything after hearing bad words and insults. We’re all human. Most of us feel stressed when we hear negative comments directed towards us. Still, it is only up to us how we cope with insults. I do my best not to feel verbal attacks as aggression towards me.