Before you speak, ask yourself: is it kind, is it necessary, is it true, does it improve on the silence? - SAI BABA
Before you speak, ask yourself, will what I say cause damage to a relationship with people important to me?
Which is more important to me: to say what I want to say, or to continue a positive relationship?
Before you speak, ask yourself, will what I'm going to say be considered a criticism? If so, shouldn't I wait until a more suitable time and place? Shouldn't I say it in private?
Before you speak, ask yourself, will what I plan to say bring sunshine to a dim place? Or will it bring darkness? Will it open a window of opportunity for someone or some idea? Or will it close a door in someone's face? Will it create or kill?
Communication has consequences. You may say, "I take it back." But you really cannot. It's better that you don't 'give it' in the first place. It's better that you think before you speak.
~butterfly angel~
2 comments:
Sometimes we overthink what we say and how it affects others. I agree totally that we should avoid brutal honesty. There is this other thing though of being human and stating what is on our mind so we do not backlog pent up thoughs and emotions.
Being yourself sometimes means saying something where you are taking a risk. No one wants to be out in the breeze and at the same time no one wants to be left unheard...
WTS – I agree with you. When I posted this, I was coming from the perspective of a classroom teacher. Our words we say to our students can be “bullets” if we are not careful. Students are human beings with feelings and we instructors seem to forget that. Yes, we might be trying to help a student along the path of maturity but we must choose our words carefully. An incident that happened before the year ended instigated this whole post.
My students know my philosophy about verbal expression: “You are entitled to your opinion. It’s when and how you express it that can get you in trouble.”
~butterfly angel~
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