Stab the body and it heals, but injure the heart and the wound lasts a lifetime.

The saying contrasts physical injury—often visible, treatable, and finite—with emotional harm, which can be invisible yet enduring. “Stab the body” evokes a dramatic but ultimately reparable wound, while “injure the heart” points to betrayal, humiliation, abandonment, or cruelty that reshapes a person’s inner life and relationships. The quote underscores how memory and meaning make psychological pain persist: even when circumstances change, the person may continue to relive the injury, mistrust others, or carry shame. Its significance lies in urging moral caution about words and actions, suggesting that emotional violence can be more lasting than bodily harm and therefore deserves equal seriousness.