In the previous article, we covered the difference between wisdom and intelligence, between wisdom and knowledge, also presenting some important aspects in which man’s wisdom is manifest, such as words, time and management. After that we presented two wise characters, Solomon the wise and Joseph the righteous.
Today we shall continue our discussion on wisdom in terms of silence and speech.
The Wise Is a Good Listener:
Talking about silence drags us to a very important attribute of the wise person, namely, being a good listener. It is said: “The knowledgeable is a good speaker, but the wise is a good listener”. And again: “Speak slowly, but think swiftly”. For when man pauses before speaking, he can think more profoundly, and can evaluate all issues before handing others advice and guidance.
So becoming more of a listener than a talker is the most important quality, which man should train to acquire along life’s journey. Thus it is said: “Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath…”
The Wise Is Aware of What Should Be Said:
Scripture also says: “Whoever guards his mouth and tongue, Keeps his soul from troubles.” Thus when the wise person speaks, words preserve him, because he understands what he says, as he speaks at the right time, “In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride, but the lips of the wise will preserve them.”
For many tribulations that man experiences are caused by his words, and as a result, he loses his peace and tranquility.
A Wise Person Does Not Rush To Speak Nor Speak Abundantly:
Therefore, Wise Solomon describes the man who speaks hastily as a little lower than a fool. “Do you see a man hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.”
Besides, he considers a multitude of words as imprudence, for it is one of the qualities of a fool: “A fool also multiplies words.”
So Solomon warned of a multitude of words because it leads to sin, saying: “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise.”
For how many persons exceedingly regretted their uttered words! While others lost their lives as a result of their words!! For example, Scripture tells us that, upon King Saul’s death, a young man hastened to gladden and report to King David that he killed Saul, so David ordered his execution, punishing him because he killed King Saul, “Then David called one of the young men and said, “Go near, and execute him!” And he struck him so that he died. So David said to him, “Your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you…”
I once read a nice tale about silence:
Once upon a time, three men were sentenced to death by the guillotine, one was a theologian, the other a lawyer and the third a physicist. At the moment of execution, the theologian came forward, putting his head under the guillotine, when he was asked: “Would you like to say a final word before dying?”
“God is going to save me”, he answered. Then the guillotine came down, but stopped just before touching the theologian’s head! People were astonished saying, “Release the theologian, God has ruled!” Thus the theologian was delivered.
Then it was the lawyer’s turn, and likewise he was asked: “Do you have something to say before dying?”
“I don’t know God as the theologian does, but I believe more in justice, which will save me”, he answered.
And the same thing happened again, the guillotine stopped just before touching his head, and the people were amazed for the second time and said: “Release the lawyer, justice has been served.” So likewise, the lawyer was delivered.
Eventually, it was the physicist’s turn, and he was asked the same question, “Would you like to say something before dying?” Then he answered: “I neither know God as the theologian, nor justice like the lawyer. However, there is a knot in the guillotine’s rope that prevents it from falling properly!!” So they looked up, and actually saw the knot that had obstructed the guillotine from coming down, and fixed the guillotine, so it came down and chopped off the physicist’s head!
Now the question is: “What would have happened had the physicist held his silence?!!”
The Wise is Aware of the Significance of Words:
Words have a great impact, for either they justify man or condemn him. It is told that someone lent his friend some money, but the borrower wished to avoid repaying the loan, so he denied borrowing it. The lender resorted to a judge, who asked the debtor, who again denied the transaction, so the judge asked the creditor to go and fetch a handful of dust from the location where he had lent him the money! The creditor was amazed, but he obeyed the judge and went off.
A short while later, the judge asked the debtor: “Do you think he has arrived there or not yet?”
“No, I don’t think so, because the location is too far away”, he answered spontaneously. Therefore, the judge believed the creditor, and justice was served, as he ruled that the money be returned.
Concerning the serious impact of words, and how words can justify or condemn, it is said: “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Plus, it is written in the Parable of the talents that a master gave his servants some talents to trade and gain, after which he traveled, and when he returned he found out that one of the servants had buried his talent in the ground, accusing his master of being unfair, because he demands the talents in addition to interest, then the master said to him: ” ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed…’ “.
A wise person deliberates well before uttering:
So, a wise man thinks profoundly before speaking, for the words that are spoken can’t be retrieved, nor can we change their impact on others’ souls.
Once, there was a little boy who used to get angry often and to hurt others with his spiteful words. One day, his father gave him a bag of nails and told him: “Every time you insult someone, hammer a nail into the garden fence.”
On the first day, the little boy hammered 37 nails into the garden fence, and he tried to train himself to control his words, so that he might not deform the garden fence, so the number of nails was reduced gradually day after day.
One day, it came to pass that the lad didn’t hammer any nail into the fence, so he went to tell his father that he no longer needed to hammer any nails. Then his father told him: “From now on, remove a nail for every day passing without your uttering hurtful words against anybody.”
Eventually, many days later, the lad told his father that he had removed all the nails from the fence. Then the father accompanied his son to the fence, and said: “Well done, son! However, look at the holes you have left behind on the fence, it will never be as it was before!!”
When a dispute or an argument takes place, and you insult others with harsh words, you cause a deep wound just like those holes that were seen by the little boy, and you will never be able to fix their impact, so it is said: “People may forget what you have told them, yet they will never forget how you made them feel”.
Train yourself to listen:
If you want to be a wise person, you should train yourself to be a good listener, for in listening amply, man learns several qualities that increase his wisdom, such as: deep thought, patience, sound judgment of all matters, perceiving the value of silence and the impact of every word you speak.
Besides, a wise person neither remains silent when he should talk, nor talks when he should remain silent, which will be tackled in another article.
