Sticks and Stones, Part 4

An anti-bullying message is important for kids but it’s also important for adults. Bullying behavior happens between all types of people, in all walks of life, throughout life. We know that bullying or hurtful comments can cause distress, but do we know how much?

In order to answer that question, researchers monitored a group of employees. The 41 test participants were each given a hand-held computer. The computers allowed test subjects to rate co-worker interactions as positive, neutral, or negative. While only 10% of the interactions were rated negative, “The negative interactions had a fivefold stronger effect on mood than the positive ones and thus took much longer to get over.”

Remember back in Sticks and Stones, Part 1, when you were asked to recall a time when you’d been bullied or harassed? Think about the clarity with which you can remember that event. You may be able to put yourself right back in that place, back at that age, and back to the feelings you had. What’s worse is that those negative interactions don’t just hurt the intended target but also family and friends.

Why does a negative interaction cause so much hurt? One controversial theory may hold the answer. Japanese researcher Masaru Emoto, author of The Hidden Messages in Water, conducted experiments that examined the effects different words could have on water. His findings seemed to indicate that water crystals, when exposed to positive words, will form into beautiful hexagonal shapes that look like snowflakes. In converse, water crystals that are subjected to negative words will arrange themselves into misshapen forms. The aptly named Emoto seems to have proven that water can carry emotion and will manifest that emotion physically.

Here are a few examples of the images Emoto was able to capture.

We have established definitions for words and have attached emotions to those words. Is it possible that those emotions can come through in our voice or thoughts, thus, sending out negative vibrations to the water? Regardless of validity, the research is worth thinking over. Considering how much of our bodies are water, it may help explain the impact that negative words and thoughts can have on us physically.

Think Masaru Emoto’s experiment is a hoax? Try the “rice experiment.” These videos will show you how to set up your own version at home, plus you’ll see what happened when one couple carried out the experiment to the end…

For more information:

Ban Jerks to Boost the Bottom Line

Masaru Emoto

Water at the Nano Level