I get what you mean about words being powerful only if we let them be. In school, people throw around insults all the time, and I used to feel really bad about it. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized it says more about them than it does about me.
Still, I also think that for some people, words do hurt deeply, especially if they’ve been bullied or judged before. Maybe that’s why there are rules about it in sports or school—to remind people to respect others, even in the heat of the moment.
I guess for us younger ones, it’s about learning when to brush things off and when to stand up and say “that’s not okay”
Having rules doesn't stop anyone from swearing or bullying - bullies bully, that is what they do, regardless of rules. However, we can all learn how to deal with bullies, because they appear all the way through life, at all ages.