A well-known tale worth remembering has to do with the havoc caused by thoughtless words. The story revolves around a known village gossiper who realizes his lack of restraint in spreading information caused much havoc. He confided in a wise man, asking for forgiveness and promising to do whatever it took to make amends.
The wise man instructed the gossiper to cut open a feather pillow and scatter all the feathers on the wind.
‘Is that it, then?’ he asked, flicking the last feather into the air with thinly disguised annoyance, ‘have I made amends? Am I now forgiven?’
‘You’ll have to ask the people you hurt about forgiveness,’ replied the wise man, ‘as for making amends, all you have to do is gather all the feathers and put them back in the pillow.’
‘But that’s impossible’, objected the gossiper, trying raise himself to his ful height, ‘the wind has scattered them everywhere.’
The wise man shrugged; ‘It is as difficult to repair the damage done by words as it is to recover feathers in the wind.'
The lesson?
Once they’re spoken, you can neither 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 its better just to say that 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.
Explore the Cures & Creams online store and source the natural remedy that’s just right for you and your loved ones.
Subscribe so you can take advantage of running specials, reward points and repeat order subscription benefits.
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.
