A corollary is that the policing of microaggressions, as a form of catastrophizing, works against its own aim of protecting sensitive people. A healthier response would be the stoic sentiment that "sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me." I'd bet the popularity of that statement would be inverse to the mental health trends. People can grant or refuse the power of words to hurt them to a wide degree. Their willingness to do one or the other appears to cluster by gender, age and politics.
