What (not) to say?

All training in languages, communication skills and personality development has focused for ages on what to say, and how to say. The advent of social media has changed the dimension. Emphasis now is more on what not to say (so, ‘how to say’ doesn’t even come into the picture).

First off, I see the posts/comments of most people on the social media as highly opinionated based on their assumptions and loyalties, rather than facts and analysis. Posts/comments from very few people seem to be informed and useful, but unfortunately they are very badly trolled by the majority, since social media comes with unlimited freedom to express without any checks.

Let’s leave aside what’s right to say and what’s not. Everybody in this world has his/her own rights and wrongs. It’s not easy to find a common ground on that criterion.

But, we all should remember that while we are free to say whatever we want to say, we cannot escape the consequence of being judged by the people based on what we say. The moment we throw something into the public domain we lose the control on its receptivity by the public.

Social media has been instrumental in erasing all rules of what to say, and hence like never before, the art of what not to say gained enormous importance. People who show restraint and keep a distance from social media pollution are not the ones who don’t have any opinions but they are the ones who know the paramountcy of what not to say.

Some related words of wisdom:

“It is better to remain silent at the risk of being thought a fool, than to talk and remove all doubt of it.” ― Maurice Switzer

“Speak only if it improves upon the silence.” ― Mahatma Gandhi

“What’s the use of complaining about something you have no intentions of changing?” ― Mario L Castellanos

“Fine clothes may disguise, but silly words will disclose a fool” ― Aesop, Aesop’s Fables

“The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.” ― Mark Twain

Cheers 🙂