Fight today’s battles, not yesterday’s battles
Life in this world is characterized by constant change. Functioning effectively in such a world, therefore, demands a dynamic approach to life. The need for [...]
The difference between cleverness and wisdom
When we interact with others, we often like to be perceived as lively and witty. Accordingly, we may aspire to come up with clever comments [...]
Effective education: what to NOT focus on
Education requires a dynamic awareness of the level of those being educated. Suppose a math teacher with a triple PhD in calculus is teaching children [...]
Taking responsibility for the effects of our speech
When a doctor gives a medicine to a patient, the doctor's intent may be good: to help the patient heal. Though the doctor may carefully [...]
Why sensitivity in speech is especially needed in the internet age
The Bhagavad-gita (17.15) urges us to speak the truth sensitively — that is, in a manner which is non-agitating at the very least and pleasing [...]
Sensitivity in communicating superiority
Whenever we share a spiritual message with others, we may naturally feel inspired to emphasize the things that inspire us the most. Such an emphasis [...]
How to speak more effectively: Cross or Across?
Whenever we have a difference of opinion with someone, wherein despite our best attempts to persuade them, they just don't seem to get our point, [...]
When winning an argument backfires …
Suppose we come to know that an acquaintance has a harmful misconception. To protect them, we try to counter that misconception, and an argument ensues. [...]
The power of words: be aware and beware
When we use something regularly, we may forget how powerful it is. Consider electricity. As it is widely available, we tend to forget its importance [...]
The difference between compassion and compromise
Suppose we are building a staircase to a scenic spot on a hilltop. Suppose we make the steps so big that people have to pull [...]
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 [...]
Why compassion matters more than erudition
Suppose we discuss spirituality with a loved one whose conceptions differ from what we have learnt in sacred texts like the Bhagavad-gita. We may feel [...]
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 [...]