Think before you speak. Seems pretty basic. But then why is it so hard?! I’m horrible at it, at taking that extra second before I say what’s on my mind or before deciding what I am going to do. I have a pretty dry sense of humor, so tend to blurt out sarcastic comments like they are going out of style. ! But it’s crucial for us guys to not just immediately say what comes to our mind, or else we are going to be in a WORLD of trouble.And this isn’t just common sense, it’s backed up by psychologists who claim that “Your speech shapes your life.”
How do we prevent that, and make sure what we are saying is the right thing? My suggestion is take 4 seconds before you act or respond. Now obviously this is a rule that will change a bit depending on the situation. If your neighbour’s house is on fire and they ask you to call the fire station, then you’re not going to wait 4 seconds to respond. I’m talking about those situations where you have something you want to say, or someone asks you for advice. Or the times when you’re excited, angry, over-caffeinated, or tired. In those moments, count to 4 before you say something. Evaluate whether what you’re saying is the right thing to say, or if you would be proud to have said in in a week from now. THEN make the choice of what you will say. 4 seconds isn’t too much to ask, is it?
There are countless real life scenarios of people who have thought before they’ve spoken or acted in order to avoid catastrophe. Take John F. Kennedy with the Cuban Missile Crisis! Russia and the US barely avoided nuclear disaster thanks to taking time to think things through. Let’s try and learn from the examples out there, and take those 4 seconds!
An Unlikely Gentleman 