10 FUNDAMENTAL RULES OF CONVERSATION.
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Talk is cheap, yet it sometimes cost the speaker more than he can afford. Consider these 10 rules before you start to speak:
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ULTIMATE RULE:
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Don't talk when its not your turn, and when its your turn, don't be a fool by keeping mute. While talking, consider the countenance of your listener.
Talking before your turn shows you lack respect, not talking when its your turn only means one thing: You are boastful and full of pride. Consider the expression, appearance and readiness of your listener.
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BEFORE YOU SPEAK: LISTEN AND THINK:
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''The difference between a smart man and a wise man is that a smart man knows what to say, a wise man knows whether or not to say it.'' Frank M Garafola. Listen twice more than you speak, that's what the two ears are meant for. Most of all, think. Think before you speak, so you won't offend the wrong man.
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DON'T SEEK TO WIN AN ARGUMENT BUT TO MAKE YOUR OPINION HEARD:
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''I never make the mistake of arguing with people for whose opinions I have no respect'' Edward Gibbon. Don't raise your voice when you are conversing, it shows you have control over your emotion. Don't argue with a fool, a wise man respects a good opinion when he sees one.
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SILENCE IS GOLDEN:
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Abraham Lincoln once said it's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt. Don't be a fool by speaking all because you have to say something. Be wise, Speak because you have something to say.
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DON'T REPLY WHEN YOU ARE OFFENDED; DON'T PROMISE WHEN YOU ARE HAPPY:
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Anger and Happiness clouds ones judgement. Speak when you are angry and you will regret your ulterances for the rest of your life. When provoked, count to 10 before you speak. If very angry, count to one hundred.
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MASTER YOUR CONTENT:
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Speak to the degree at which you know. When you are getting out of point, take a bow and leave. It's better to say what you know than what you think you know.
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TONE MATTERS:
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Most times words are not all about 'who' said it, but 'how' it is being altered. People read the tone of your voice as much as they read the letters of your words. Are you comanding or persuading? Tone matters.
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BE RESERVED:
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''Among my most prized possesions are words that I have never spoken'' Orson Rega. A fool fills his mouth with words. The wise spit it, bit by bit. The wise say less and they appear profound and mysterious. The fool Talks much and sign of vanity,
for the one who is lavish with words is cheap.
Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less.
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WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW; ASK:
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Don't be a fool by stating what you don't know. If you aren't sure, ASK. Don't declare what someone has told you. Verify. You are knowledgeable when you know and you know you know, when you don't know and you know you don't know.
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EAT YOUR WORDS; IT'S A GOOD DIET:
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Winston Churchill quipped '' In the course of my life. I have often had to eat my words, and I must confess that I have always found it a wholesome diet'' Eating your words doesn't make you weak, rather it shows your maturity at admitting responsibility. More so, if you don't make mistakes how will you learn the first Nine Rules.
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Writer
Sayo Ademola