what is happening behind the words ? when I feel bad about myself ?

I asked myself the question: when I feel bad about myself, when I beat myself up and regret things, what is really happening ?

I came up with the following thoughts.

Words are just words.

They are symbols on a screen, on paper.

Or they are sounds.

The symbols on paper or the sounds by themselves have no real power.

Once the symbols or the sounds become meaning then they affect me, which is what I call "having power".

What the meaning is depends on the context.

The words "I love you" read on a bumper sticker on the car in front of me in heavy traffic will mean nothing compared to hearing them from a Lady I have admired from afar for years. ;-)

Whatever it is that words as sounds or symbols do to a person they do it on a NON verbal, no word level. They do it on the level of meaning, of feelings.  In the end, the words themselves are just sounds and symbols.

If you speak more than one language you will understand this even more easily: much the same meaning can be told to you in different languages, the languages is just the wrapping for the meaning.

Like chocolates in a box, the box and the wrapping may differ, but the real essence is the chocolate, regardless of the wrapping. Unless you like eating the wrapping of course. :-P

Back to my original question:

"when I feel bad about myself, when I beat myself up and regret things, what is really happening ?"

I don't have a final answer but I have some further thoughts:

When I beat myself up, - I am feeling things. bad feelings. Unpleasant feelings.

Those bad feelings eat away my confidence like acid eating away metal.

 More than that alone, I have a bad intent at myself. ....

 Hmmmm............

this is as far as I have got.....

I wonder: what happens when I worry ? I must be putting 'bad energy' into myself ?

What is 'bad energy' really ? bad feelings ? Yes, but what is it really ? 

I don't know, this is as far as I have got....

Hopefully I can update this one day.... .



I have only looked at words an their effect from the mind perspective, i.e. words that were processed consciously, by the mind of the listener.


There is another way that words work, without going through the mind. That way is pure energy which is aimed at the feeling center of the person. 
Have you ever met someone who uses nice sweet words but really has a totally different intent ?
In that case the nice words are wrapping for an energy that has nothing to do with the meaning of the words. The meaning distracts the listener, it goes to the mind.
"I love you", said with the intent and feeling of 'I hate you' will confuse the listener.
Modern people will listen with the mind and take in the meaning of 'I love you'.
They will not notice immediately that the feeling BEHIND the words is totally different.
Intuitive people will feel and see the intent behind the words and see the reality.
An intuitive person will have trouble explaining to a person who uses only their mind that the intent and the meaning are different.