Guilt-Free Expressions to Say, 'You Hurt My Feelings'

When you are hurt, your first instinct is to retaliate. You want to hurt the other person to avenge the pain you are feeling. Revenge is sweet, but the repercussions can often create greater suffering. As Ken Kesey, the author of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," said, "The man who seeks revenge digs two graves." Blinded by anger and wounded ego, hurt people often act recklessly. Thus they begin a circle of vengeance.

History is replete with stories of hurt and revenge. Mighty empires have crumbled because of misguided anger. Ego clashes have wiped out human life because of ensuing wars. So how can you assuage hurt feelings? Can you take back the words that hurt another?

Just as cruel words can hurt someone, eloquent words of forgiveness can soothe the pain. When you seek unconditional forgiveness or atone for your misdeeds with a good deed, you can reverse the pain.

If you have been hurt, you can use these "you hurt me" quotes to express your anguish. There's no need for revenge or retaliation! A few sincere words are enough to communicate your pain. These words can have a powerful effect on your aggressor's conscience.

Oscar Wilde: "A gentleman is one who never hurts anyone's feelings unintentionally."

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: "A torn jacket is soon mended, but hard words bruise the heart of a child."

English Proverb: "Anger is often more hurtful than the injury that caused it."

Diana Ross: "Criticism, even when you try to ignore it, can hurt. I have cried over many articles written about me, but I move on and I don't hold on to that."

Lady Gaga: "Do you know the feeling, when your heart is so hurt, that you could feel the blood dripping?"

Chris Rock: "For me, anything goes when I pick up a mike. I'm not trying to hurt people—I try not to get too personal but I look at myself as a reporter. If you can report on anything that has to do with pop culture, then why can't I make jokes about it? Yes, it hurts. But I figure that laughter sometimes starts from pain. You might wince, but then I know that I'm doing my job. The only thing I can do wrong is not be funny."

Ernest Hemingway: "Forget your personal tragedy. We are all bitched from the start and you especially have to be hurt like hell before you can write seriously. But when you get the damned hurt, use it—don't cheat with it."

Christina Aguilera: "I'm sorry for blaming you for everything I just couldn't do, and I've hurt myself by hurting you."

Klaus Kinski: "Sometimes my heart hurts so much, I beat it with my fists. I try to run. But you cannot run from this. It waits for you. Even when you think you have escaped it, it is there."

Les Brown: "Forgive those who have hurt you."

Alonzo Mourning: "I was hurting. I had some ailments I was dealing with. It's not like I was holding out."