I just came across this quote and thought it was appropriate, not just
to the spoken word but here on the internet - particularly in the world
of blogs and discussion groups where words - whether written in jest or
not, can be open to a whole world of different interpretation when they
land in someone else's inbox or on the computer screen.
"Know
that a word suddenly shot from the tongue is like an arrow shot from
the bow. Son, that arrow won't turn back on its way; you must damn the
torrent at its source." - Rumi
I see it time and time
again in the online world. Discussions getting heated because someone
said something that someone else didn't agree with or took the wrong
way.
Don't jump to conclusions, just because you've read
something that presses your buttons, particularly if you don't know the
sender or the personalities involved. Re-read the text but take a
different viewpoint. How would you read and interpret this message if
it was written by a friend?
Remember that tone, feelings and the
more subtle aspects of humour are difficult to convey in the written
word. The same sentence read with different intonation and emphasis can
be interpreted completely differently.
That said - if you have
the habit of putting your foot in it it's worth spending a few minutes
to think before you speak. At least take time to read what you've said
before you hit send or be prepared to deal with the effect should the
arrow find a different 'target' from what was intended.
