Silence is Gold

“When a sieve is shaken, the husks appear; So do one’s faults when one speaks.” Sirach 27:4

There is a saying, “To speak is silver, silence is gold.” Then there is this amusing Roman nugget: “Si tacuisses, philosophus mansisses" which translates to, “If you had remained silent, you would have remained a philosopher". One wonders if the Latin philosopher Boethius who is said to have penned this was of a taciturn nature. 

Sir Humphrey Appleby simply translated it to this:”If you'd kept your mouth shut we might have thought you were clever.”

I’ve certainly had my stupidity on display many a time but of course I prefer to forget those instances. I think the best conversations I’ve had were the ones where I turn the spotlight on the one I’m speaking to. When I really, really listen to others, and am genuinely interested in what they are saying, I get rewarded because most people are fascinating. There’s always something to learn, and enjoy second hand from anyone. Unfortunately, I tend to interrupt, eagerly wanting to share my own experiences. And then looking back at the interaction, I regret not listening more and asking more questions. 

In the same Bible passage, we find, “The fruit of the tree shows the care it has had; so too does one’s speech disclose the bent of one’s mind.” 

Father, I don’t particularly want to be known as clever or smart, but please help me in my speech to show love, caring and generosity for others.