How sensitivity differs from sentimentality
Suppose a doctor is treating a patient for a painful ailment wherein a boil needs to be cut. If the doctor is sensitive, they are [...]
How to become more sensitive
The Bhagavad-gita (17.15) recommends increased sensitivity of speech when it urges us to speak non-agitatingly and pleasingly. How can we develop such sensitivity, which essentially [...]
When calling a spade a spade doesn’t help …
In today's politically correct climate, not many people speak candidly; they understandably fear being condemned or ‘canceled.’ Amid such an environment, those who do call [...]
How Krishna’s words demonstrate the discipline of speech that he recommends
In the Bhagavad-gita (17.15), Krishna outlines the characteristics of disciplined speech. Let’s consider how those characteristics are demonstrated by Krishna’s words in the Gita. Non-agitating: [...]
How we may overestimate the power of speech
Suppose someone’s car stops working. They infer, “The spark plug is the problem,” whereas their friend who is no more a car expert than them [...]
Why we may underestimate the power of words
Suppose a friend comes to us with a black eye, a bleeding nose and a broken tooth. We will be concerned, if not alarmed. We [...]
Why speaking effectively is as difficult as loving authentically
When we love someone authentically, that love involves a dynamic tension between our concern for them as they are presently and our concern for what [...]
When political correctness helps and when it harms
Few things are as polarizing in today’s Left-Right cultural divide as political correctness. The Left often condemns politically incorrect speech, seeing it as evidence that [...]
How our speech becomes ineffective – 2
Suppose a child meets with a terrible accident that permanently damages his legs. Cultured society may avoid referring to him as lame or even as [...]
How our speech becomes ineffective – 1
Speech is effective when it is both sensible and sensitive (Bhagavad-gita 17.15). Our speech becomes ineffective when we are sensible but not sensitive. Let’s understand [...]
Two ways to make our speech more effective
“How can I make my speech more effective?” We all have probably asked ourselves this question, especially after we tried to persuade someone of something [...]
How to speak an unpalatable truth?
Truth is unpalatable — we may quote this saying while speaking to others some truth that is likely to hurt them. Yes, we all are [...]
On words of wisdom: wisdom matters and so do words
We can easily understand the power of wisdom: it can help us choose properly, communicate effectively, live fruitfully. However, we may not so easily understand [...]
How to help others choose wisely?
When we aspire to share some wisdom with others, especially to help them make better choices, we need to balance two things: truth and grace. [...]
Are we committing violence with our mouth?
When we grow in wisdom, we learn to live more consciously. We inspect our habitual actions and their consequences in an interconnected universe. By such [...]
What are we seeking when we are speaking?
When we speak with others to persuade them about something, how can we make our speaking more effective? By remembering that speaking is meant to [...]
How to resolve arguments with our loved ones?
Suppose we get into an argument with someone, specifically a loved one with whom we want a long-lasting relationship. We may try to prove our [...]
Have we earned the right to criticize?
When we see someone doing something that seems wrong to us, we often feel the urge to criticize and correct them. We may feel we [...]
Wrong to say others are wrong?
We live in a world where people have varying viewpoints, some that seem acceptable to us and some that seem utterly unacceptable or even unconscionable [...]
Light is usually seen before warmth is felt, but spiritual warmth frequently needs to be felt before spiritual light is seen
If we are lost in the dark and cold, we can spot the light of a fire long before we feel its warmth. In the [...]
We don’t owe our friends a positive response, but we do owe them a sensitive response
Suppose we try something creative for the first time and are unsure about the quality of the product: “Is it good? Is it great? Is [...]