Saturday, December 26, 2009

The wisdom of silence (#330)

Has the quiet been my friend? Not like it is today. I enjoy the silence in life as a reminder of how I should behave toward my urge to respond. It is interesting that I have learned to stay quiet on subjects that ordinarily would provoke a response from me. I am practicing patience and silence on the myriad subjects I feel I can help with. Why? I am waiting to be asked or invited to participate without first offering. It is amazing to me how insignificant my opinion is in comparison with what others already know but have not made a choice about yet. It is often said that the smartest person in the room is the one who maintains the most silence. It is much easier to formulate a better answer if I have listened to all that needs to be said first. It is not a competition to blurt out the answer first but to answer the question in the most correct way. I also know that most people respond to questions with an intent to help. It is also true that ego and low self-esteem contribute to answering questions as a validating enforcer. Our society is at odds at times with proper individual growth. The lesson I have learned is that, over time, wisdom manifests itself in the form of deliberation before conversation. As I continue to adapt this strategy of self-checking I know that what I say when I speak will carry with it the gravitas of my experience and knowledge. My common sense dictates that my silence is the genesis of my wisdom.

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