They can build people up, move societies to change, boost morale, enlist support, share love and support, tell stories and paint pictures, communicate compassion.
Words can also break hearts, accuse, tear people down, encourage hate, turn people against one another, spread gossip, bring pain and suffering.
I ran across a great quote although I can’t find who said it…
“You are a master of the words you don’t say
and a slave to the ones you do.”
You are master of the words you don’t say. I’ve been taught and then have tried to instill in our kids-Is it kind, is it true, is it necessary? In other words, is it worth it to say it out loud. They who have mastered the art of this are masters over the words they choose not to share.
You’re a slave to the words you do say. Once it’s out there, you sure can’t take it back. Our best words are celebrated and our worst, well, we can apologize and retract but they hang out there in the universe like laundry you just can’t get dry.
I’ve been hurt by others’ words plenty and sadly, I know I’ve wielded mine as swords more often then I care to recall. With Facebook and Twitter it’s so easy to spit out words that we wouldn’t say face to face either in passing as a quip or with our own political stance or agenda. It’s become easier and more comfortable to insert our opinions as fact at any given chance.
And even though my opinion is generally right…
(just ask Mr. Man-I’m rarely wrong)
It’s maybe not necessary.
All this to say-here’s an amazing quote that I will now be memorizing, memorializing and possibly imbedding it into our kids' sweet heads…
“I appreciate people who are civil, whether they mean it or not. I think: Be civil. Do not cherish your opinion over my feelings. There's a vanity to candor that isn't really worth it. Be kind.”
-Richard Greenberg, playright
Those are words to live by right there:
Do not cherish your opinion over my feelings...Be kind.
I'm not sure why that was such a novel concept to me but it is. Don't cherish my own opinion over the feelings of others. Wow. See-those are the kinds of words I want to be known for.
Thanks Mr. Greenberg-right on!
-McGee
4 comments:
Wow, that's a good one today! I like the 3 criteria to think about before speaking, that one "is it necessary" is definitely a struggle to answer when I'm in an argument with someone! Dang right it's necessary for them to hear my opinion! Who do I think I am?! Also I really liked the quote about not cherishing your opinions over my feelings, I would like to tell a few people that! But I also liked that u flipped the script and said "do not cherish MY opinions over OTHER'S feelings, as good to practice what we preach! Why is communicating so dang hard?
It's not communicating that's so hard, it's getting other people to understand why I'm right that takes so much work.
But really.
I LOVE LOVE the concept about opinions and feelings...LOVE.
It's that filter between the brain and the mouth that so many people seem to be lacking.
"Everybody's talking, but no one says a word."
LOVE THIS BLOG.
Buddha-I totally agree-it is that disconnect and lack of filter! It it empowering to think about being a master over my words, particularly the ones I choose not to express and to be accountable to the words I let out.
And my favorite motto of all time...be kind. I mean, really...how difficult can that be? :)
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