10 Expressions You Should Remove From Your Vocabulary

Unless you want to be an emotionally-abusive asshole

Photo by Dmitry Vechorko on Unsplash

1. You’re being dramatic.
2. You’re ridiculous.
3. You should never____________.
4. No one wants to see__________.
5. What makes you think you can_________?
6. What makes you think you’re capable of________?
7. You’re not exactly_______material.
8. Dream on.
9. No shit. Duh.
10. You’re crazy.

I learned all of these from my partner in an emotionally abusive relationship, and now they exist as red flags in any encounters with other humans. They tell me to “run,” and you should, too. Emotional abuse doesn’t have to involve swearing, cursing, or the threat of physical violence. Expressions like these whittle down our self-esteem and keep us from reaching our full potential. Often, red flags like these can be precursors to more aggressive abuse, both verbal and physical. They are not okay.

Although the image above is of a man, women can be abusers, too. Abuse does not have to involve physical violence, and abuse does not have to only involve our intimate partners. It can be a parent, a child, a friend, a neighbor, a co-worker. Emotional abuse is abuse!

And we deserve better.

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