Tact and kind words

“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” Says King Solomon in the book of Proverbs and sure enough this was the case as far as this incident is concerned.

When US president Gerald Ford was in office, he was on one occasion visited in the White House by Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. When Ford’s son, Jack, was dressing for a formal dinner with the queen and prince, he couldn’t find the studs for his shirt so he rushed into his father’s bedroom to see if he could borrow some.

He ran into the elevator with his shirt unbuttoned and hanging out, and his hair disheveled - too late to discover that somebody else was already in the elevator. It was his parents with their guests, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.

Mrs. Ford, feeling awkward, introduced Jack to their distinguished visitors. Sensing Mrs. Ford’s embarrassment, the queen remarked sympathetically, “I have one just like that!”

Tact and kindness are great gifts to use every day. And indeed, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” The absence of tact and the careless use of words would bring trouble as illustrated by this story.

A lady is walking down the street to work and she sees a parrot in a pet store. The parrot says to her, “Hey lady, you are really ugly.” Well, the lady is furious! And she storms past the store to her work. On the way home she saw the same parrot in the window and the parrot said to her, “Hey lady, you are really ugly.” Well, she was incredibly mad now.

The next day she saw the same parrot and the parrot said to her, “Hey lady, you are really ugly.” The lady was so mad that she went into the store and said that she would sue the store and kill the bird. The store manager said, “That’s not good.” and promised her the parrot wouldn’t say it again.

When the lady walked past the store after work the parrot said to her, “Hey lady.”

She paused and said, “Yes?” and the bird said, “You know.”

Choose your words carefully when you speak to someone. A careless disregard for the right vocabulary will destroy relationships and cause injury. Sometimes we are too familiar with those around us and we become careless in the choice of our words and this should not be the case.

WORDS ARE POTENT AND POWERFUL; WE MUST USE THEM VERY CAREFULLY. Our tongue is a little member, but it is full of dynamite. What we say can be harmful or helpful, blasphemous or blessed. We must therefore be very attentive in regard to what escapes our lips.

Professionals and people of virtue refrain from using impure language. They do not engage in gossips and participate in badmouthing their company, their bosses or other people. They manage their emotions masterfully and are not hasty and severe in expressing themselves.

 I have come across many who would allow their tongues to become razor sharp that their words cut and unnecessarily wound others, and they always live to regret it afterwards.

The word “sarcasm” comes from the Greek verb “sarcazo” which means “to tear flesh like dogs.”  Someone has aptly commented, “A biting remark at home, on the job, or in school – even if it is true – is bound to tear flesh and, more often than not, such wounds are slow to heal.”

Choose our words carefully and apply tact. Here’s a poem that would remind us to do so.

Drop an unkind word or careless,  

In a minute it is gone;  

But a half a hundred ripples  

Circle on, and on, and on;   

They are spreading, spreading, spreading  

From the center as they go,  

And there is no way to stop them  

Once you’ve started them to flow.          

Remember: Even though the tongue weighs practically nothing, it is surprising how few people are able to hold it. But those who do, they achieve a greater degree of success.

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