Proverbs Day 10

Proverbs 10:19 ~

The more talk, the less truth;
the wise measure their words.

(The Message)


You will say the wrong thing
if you talk too much--
so be sensible and watch
what you say.

(Contemporary English Version)

Boy, oh boy! There is a lovely phrase for people that talk too much, and I love it so much, I've used it myself quite a lot over the years... "Diarhhea of the mouth"

A little crude? Maybe. But I think it perfectly describes what happens when a person talks too much. There comes a point when enough is enough and it's really time to put a period where they want to avoid all punctuation whatsoever!

Have you ever noticed whenever God speaks in the bible, it's always short and to the point? He doesn't waste words. Obviously He has instructed us to follow His example. I think we humans tend to get too wordy. I know I do. Not in my talking but my writing. I want to cover all the bases, when sometimes, the message only requires a few words. Good information can become diluted if too many words are used to deliver it. People have short attention spans and time constraints and don't have time for long-windedness. I'm learning.

Talking on the other hand -- I am not much of a talker. I can handle small doses of conversation and chit-chat, but when everything's been said, I'm done. Ready to go to my quiet place again. It's in those awkward pauses of silence that make people blurt out things they shouldn't say. They start drawing from reserves they shouldn't be sharing with others and that's when they say the wrong thing.

So I think this proverb is excellent advice. Say what needs to be said, then stop. If you keep going, you're bound to say something you really shouldn't.