When being truthful is helpful and when it isn’t
Suppose our partner came to us and started listing out all our faults, which number over a hundred. How would hearing that list affect us? [...]
Why all insensitivity is not equal
We all are wired differently and we may just not have certain faculties. Some people’s minds may be so geared as to have low emotional [...]
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
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 [...]
Why we may underestimate the power of words
Why we may underestimate the power of words - Suppose a friend comes to us with a black eye, a bleeding nose and a broken [...]
Why speaking effectively is as difficult as loving authentically
Why speaking effectively is as difficult as loving authentically - When we love someone authentically, that love involves a dynamic tension between our concern for [...]
When political correctness helps and when it harms
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 [...]
How our speech becomes ineffective – 2
How our speech becomes ineffective - 2 - Suppose a child meets with a terrible accident that permanently damages his legs. Cultured society may avoid [...]
How our speech becomes ineffective – 1
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 [...]
Two ways to make our speech more effective
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 [...]
How to speak an unpalatable truth?
How to speak an unpalatable truth? - Truth is unpalatable — we may quote this saying while speaking to others some truth that is likely [...]
On words of wisdom: wisdom matters and so do words
On words of wisdom: wisdom matters and so do words - We can easily understand the power of wisdom: it can help us choose properly, [...]
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?
Are we committing violence with our mouth? - When we grow in wisdom, we learn to live more consciously. We inspect our habitual actions and [...]
What are we seeking when we are speaking?
What are we seeking when we are speaking? - When we speak with others to persuade them about something, how can we make our speaking [...]
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 [...]