‘The older I grow, the more I listen to people who do not talk much.’
German G Glien
Think carefully before you speak.
Your words can hurt other people’s feelings. They may influence others, encourage them to do something they would not normally do. Do not just throw around whatever you have in your mind. Because words have power to change people’s lives. So, use your words responsibly.
Listen more before jumping to conclusions. Consider all possible arguments, both for and against, no matter if you like those arguments or not at the very beginning. Look at the bigger picture, analyze every single piece of information, take your time to come up with personal judgments. Do not act on impulse. Slow down.
Limit yourself to what is important. Speak when necessary. The world is already full of unnecessary noises, for example, cars honking, road traffic noises, airplanes taking off, too loud TV commercials, etc.
There is so much noise in the current world already. Focus on what you are trying to communicate, and find balance between your personal opinions and facts. If you narrow your speech down to what you are really trying to say, people will listen. If you speak too much, they will fall asleep.
Get to know others better. You will never learn about other people, if you do not let them talk, introduce themselves, share their successes and failures.
‘When you talk, you repeat what you already know. When you listen, you often learn something.’
Jared Sparks
Every person has its own unique life story. We all have something to say, no matter how important or trivial our speech is going to be. The question is, how much you are willing to listen to get to know other people.
When you speak less, you do more. Actions speak louder than words people say. Some people tend to show off how many great products they bought, or where they spent their last summer holidays.
But, should not we ask, if they created something on their own, or whether they just bought souvenirs manufactured by others? Because creating has bigger added value – it helps us to grow, discover new stuff, fail, learn from our own mistakes.
For those of you who do not like talking, try writing to express yourself. Like me, I write about business for the global audience. Maybe, some of you feel like nobody understands you, or you are just being misunderstood. But, quiet people usually tend to observe others, analyze different situations, judge the world. There is nothing wrong with judging.
And then, they prefer to write because it is easier for them to show who they really are.
