The celery rule is one I live with and try to pass it on to my children as well. It might be bizarre but if someone called you a piece of celery you would just conclude that person wasn’t all there and maybe his/her salad was a bit mixed up. In that same thought pattern why then should you accept what others say about you if it’s not mixed in your dressing. If they say your fat, ugly, gay, weird etc. think that they are calling you a piece of celery if this isn’t the least bit true. Of course if there are strands of truth to their statement then accept those strands and leave the rest to celery. Words can only hurt if there is a truth to them otherwise they are just celery.