One of the lessons of history is that nothing is often a good thing to do and always a clever thing to say.
Will Durant
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Over the years I have repeatedly embarrassed myself by offering comments I thought were very astute and witty at the time but which turned out to be really inane and stupid. After offending whatever company I was with long enough by my idiotic remarks I vowed to find a way to discipline myself away from that juvenile habit and establish a regimen for making sure that what I had to say was intelligent and important.
As a result I discovered a great secret which I pass along to you. I call it;
My Six Rules Of Intelligent Speaking.
Rule 1. First, keep your mouth shut.
Rule 2. Then carefully research the great minds of the past and present who have expressed themselves on the topic you wish to address. Use the library, look into encyclopedias and dictionaries, search the Internet.
Rule 3. Consult with other people, your family, your friends and neighbors and anyone who is willing to express themselves on the subject Get as wide a diversity of opinions as you can.
Rule 4. Sit down with paper and pen and write out exactly what you want to say, making sure you have the idea clear and with the vocabulary and verbiage you want. Proofread it making whatever edits you think are appropriate. When you have it the way you want it, then read it over carefully several times.
Rule 5. Think about what you're going to say. Put all your notes together, all your research and what you have gleaned from the different opinions. Say it over to yourself and imagine the silver tones of your statement coming from your lips into the ears and minds of your eager listeners. Then when you are ready to speak,
Rule 6. Keep your mouth shut.
You're welcome.
DB - The Vagabond
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AUTUMN QUESTION
(This is not a contest.)
At what event of the past do you wish you could be present? Why?
5 responses so far.
dbdacoba@aol.com
Thank you.
DB
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5 comments:
LOL!! Good advice, esp. rule #1 and #6
A definite good blog for everyone to read and think about especially Rules #1 and #6, those can really go a big way in keeping things peaceful.
I think we all make those kinds of comments sometimes and that is just the way it works out. Not like we intended to make ourselves look like fools. However, your list of your six rules for intelligent speaking is right on. You can throw out rules 2, 3, 4 and 5 and just keep # 1 and # 6. They are the only ones that will work for sure.
I've been known to stick my foot in my mouth on more than one occasion; I love your advice to keep your mouth shut. I think we will always have trouble controlling our mouth, it seems sometimes to have a life of its own. I think that is why the Bible speaks so much about it.
hope all is well with you DB
betty
I always try to remember to count to 10 before I respond, it keeps me from making stupid comments, sometimes.
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