There is an old joke: “What is a four-letter word, ending in ‘k’, that means the same as ‘intercourse’?” It is, of course, “talk.”
We are at a critical time in our history when people don’t “talk.” The say words—more specifically, they type words (or acronyms or emojis) in text messages, emails, tweets, and social media posts—but they don’t communicate. The want to be heard, but there is little effort to listen. Often, we see multiple one-sided conversations evolve on social media. Politically and socially, it continues to divide us. We lack context and understanding. We hear (or, more accurately, read) what we want to hear (read). It is destructive.
It is time to be other-centered and to allow, as the Quakers teach, space for the soul to speak. Let’s hear opposing views, articulate our views respectfully, and regain the art of communication.
We are in a week in which tensions in the United States are high. Voices get loud and people get angry (possibly violent) when they are not heard. But, it goes beyond politics. People are just becoming more obnoxious as they are able to hide behind their computer screens. We lose the filters we have in polite face-to-face conversation. Polite discourse, however, is essential to personal and societal growth.
Time to communicate. To talk and to listen. To value the words that others speak whether we agree or not.
We must not censor speech. Instead, we must choose to confront hate with love—the biblical concept of “love your enemies.” As Stephen Covey wrote, we must “seek first to understand, then to be understood.” Allow space for the soul to speak.
Be your best today; be better tomorrow.
Carpe momento!