Most everyone on this planet speaks. Some people do it more than others. That doesn’t necessarily mean they are better at speaking. They just move more words out of their mouths and into the world more frequently.
On the other hand, a few people have the talent for speaking well. Not only do they have a command of the language, but they also have a sense of knowing the audience before them.
An intelligent man named Isaac Newton once said, “Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy.” This is pretty wise. But the guy discovered gravity and the laws of motion, so it doesn’t surprise me.
I often worry about the things I’ve said once they are out of my mouth. I know there are people in the world who don’t care what others think of them. I am not one of those people. For whatever reason, I really care what others think about me.
So, I try to be tactful. Try. With that, though, I realize I cannot control how others perceive what I’ve said. I may state something with the noblest intentions. But every person will hear it differently. What falls on those ears depends on that individual’s perspectives and past experiences.
But we have to speak, in some measure, if we wish to communicate with the world around us.
And to that, I can only say, “Hello, world. How are you?”
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Step with care and great tact, and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act.
— Dr. Seuss
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“Tact is the ability to describe others as they see themselves.”
— Abraham Lincoln
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Silence and tact may or may not be the same thing.
— Samuel Butler
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Speak. As you wish. Or not.
