Have you ever been the recipient of unhelpful words or advice?
We have an uncomfortable relationship with silence. Why do we feel the need to pass on every bit of information on a subject we know? Or add our two cents to every conversation? Social media has amplified these dynamics but the tendency has always been there.
Rabbi Israel Salanter taught:
"Not everything that is thought should be said.
And not everything that is said should be repeated
And not everything that is repeated should be remembered."
I’ve heard it said, “Do you want to be right or do you want to be married?” That’s good relationship advice even among friends. We don’t need the last word, even when we truly are right. Let that parting comment go unsaid. Be slow to speak regarding unsolicited advice – and especially unsolicited opinion. Maybe “be slow to speak” in general is a worthy goal. Just because it’s in my head doesn’t mean it needs to come out my mouth.
Let my words be few, but flavored with grace … and let my ears filter with grace as well.
Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips! Psalm 141:3
