Speaking what everyone is thinking but no one is speaking doesn’t always make us fearless. It can make us headless and mannerless. When something inappropriate is happening and no one is pointing out its inappropriateness; we may think that if we point it out we are being bold and fearless. That’s one possibility: but it’s also another possibility; maybe it is best to not aggravate the situation by pointing out the obvious. And if that were the case then our speaking will be headless; it would make things worse and it would reflect us as someone who has no manners and no courtesy. That’s why it is better to be safe than to be sorry.

Watch this content at: Playing it safe with silence

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17.15 Austerity of speech consists in speaking words that are truthful, pleasing, beneficial, and not agitating to others, and also in regularly reciting Vedic literature.