Relationships
3 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Speaking
For anyone who’s regretted what they said or how they said it
If you’re like me, you get in trouble for opening your mouth a lot. It’s part of being human.
But there are lessons we can learn on how to filter our speech, whether it’s in our marriage, with family, friends, co-workers, or online with social media. The following is one of the most effective lessons I’ve ever heard.
Some call it the three golden arches of communication. These are filters we should pass our words through before speaking up about something. As with any principle, they may not apply in every situation, but you’ll find they should be used more often than not when speaking to others.
Here are the three questions:
Is what I’m about to say…
1) TRUE?
We can take truth for granted when people need to hear it. Likewise, we may withhold a truth for fear of hurting someone’s feelings or being rejected. But it’s usually not helpful to withhold important truths.
Having said this, truth in isolation can be very abusive. So we must also ask:
Is what I’m about to say…
