October 2004
Unkind Words
A popular seminar leader commented that as he
lectured on the powerful and often negative impact of words, he asked
audiences if they could go twenty-four hours without saying any unkind
words about, or to, anybody. Usually, only a minority of the
listeners raised their hands signifying, “yes.” Some laughed.
But most gave a resounding, “no.” The leader responded by
saying that if they can’t answer “yes,” then they have a serious
problem.
If you cannot go twenty-four hours without smoking,
you are addicted to nicotine. If you cannot go twenty-four hours
without a drink, you’re most likely an alcoholic. Similarly, if
you cannot go for twenty-four hours without saying unkind words about
others, then you have most likely lost control over your tongue.
My experience is that almost every time the negative or unkind things
I have the urge to say could wait to be said twenty-four hours later.
I have also found that twenty-four hours later I changed my mind about
saying them.
