Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Manners, Minding Them!


My parents, southern born and bred, would have slapped me (well, maybe not slapped, but serious discipline would have been involved) if I used the expression, "YOU LIE".
When I was a child, some expressions were not acceptable to be used in conversation, another example is "shut up"! Seriously, calling someone a liar would often result in a "Billy Jack" incident, and not his "zen" side. Those are fighting words, and least of all, not a great way to move a conversation forward. Silence, that's the result, if not violence. I am opposed to both.
I watched Obama's address with my 12 year old daughter, and I am happy to say, she looked at me with disbelief when she heard these words shouted at the President. It was a grande teaching moment to use to drive home the importance of manners and respect for others in all situations, especially when we disagree. We all disagree at times, but that doesn't mean we can't communicate peacefully and with an open mind.
Be careful about calling another a liar, are you certain you are able to see the complete truth? Risky business insulting another's code of ethics, you insult their character and that's a hard one to take back with an apology. Forgiveness, that's another blog topic....

1 comment:

  1. It's amazing how grown-ups can act like children sometimes.

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