2 Ears – 1 Mouth
As it turns out …. Mama was right again.
What she never really said was that the wise person is the person who thinks twice before speaking once. Why? Because then what we say comes from our wisdom, not just our conscious thoughts.
Perhaps the greatest quality in a leader and the most valuable skill
in building relationships is the ability to think before you speak.
If you have a tendency to speak hastily in anger and regret your actions at leisure, the idea we were taught as a child to count to ten before speaking, will still serve you well.
When you pause — if only for a moment — to consider the sequences, your thoughts will mix with your wisdom and your words will be much more appropriate to the moment.
NOTE: If you must speak strongly, it’s a good idea to sugarcoat the words — just in case you have to eat them later . . .
http://www.themattermeter.com/?p=338
Wise people are those who think twice before speaking once.