A well-known tale worth remembering has to do with the havoc caused by thoughtless words. Words once spoken cannot be retracted. 'One mouth- two ears' quotes abound because we ought to be slow about speaking and better at listening.
There is a 19th century folktale about a thoughtless youth who went about town slandering the town’s wise man. In time, realizing how he had sorely wronged him, the kid went to the wise man’s home and asked for forgiveness.
The wise man, realizing that this man had not internalized the gravity of his transgressions, told him that he would forgive him on one condition: that he go home, take a feather pillow from his house, cut it up, and scatter the feathers to the wind. After he had done so, he should then return to the wise man’s house.
Though puzzled by this strange request, the young man was happy to be let off with so easy a penance. He quickly cut up the pillow, scattered the feathers, and returned to the house.
“Am I now forgiven?” he asked.
“Not quite, there's just one more thing,” the wise man said. “Go now and gather up all the feathers.”
“But that’s impossible. The wind has already scattered them,” objected the disgruntled youth.
“Precisely,” answered the wise man, nodding. “It is as impossible to repair the damage done by your words as it is to recover the feathers. Your words are out there in the marketplace, spreading hate, even as we speak.”
The Lesson of Feathers in the Wind
Once they’re spoken, you can never get them back.'
Another way of illustrating a similar point is to throw a plate down hard onto the floor. Does apologizing return it to the way it was before? Nuff said!
Ancient words of wisdom say, '...there is time to keep silence and a time to speak.' We don't always get it right, but bearing this in mind might save a few scattered feathers.
There’s another helpful quote from Charles Dickens that says, ‘Least said, soonest mended.’ Perhaps it's better just to say that to ourselves the next time we are tempted to be the first to spread the news. With so much fake information and videos flooding social media platforms and the like, verification habits will spare us much embarrassment as will just remembering to ‘count to ten’ before we speak.
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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional medical or psychological advice. Please consult with a qualified healthcare professional for personalized guidance.
