Sometimes we speak clumsily and create internal knots in others. Then we say, “I was just telling the truth.” It may be the truth, but if our way of speaking causes unnecessary suffering, it is not Right Speech. The truth must be presented in ways that others can accept. Words that damage or destroy are not Right Speech. Before you speak, understand the person you are speaking to. Consider each word carefully before you say anything, so that your speech is “Right” in both form and content.
– Thich Nhat Hanh
from the book “The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation”
With thanks to Just Dharma Quotes
Sometimes we speak clumsily and create internal knots in others. Then we say, “I was just telling the truth.” It may be the truth, but if our way of speaking causes unnecessary suffering, it is not Right Speech. The truth must be presented in ways that others can accept. Words that damage or destroy are not Right Speech. Before you speak, understand the person you are speaking to. Consider each word carefully before you say anything, so that your speech is “Right” in both form and content.
– Thich Nhat Hanh
from the book “The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation”
ISBN: 978-0767903691 – http://amzn.to/17VOZql
Source: Another Aspect of Right Speech | Great Middle Way
Exaggerated expressions accentuate and intensify afflicted emotions. Don’t say “I adore this food” or “I love this car” when a simple “I like” is enough to describe your emotional relationship with a mere object. Don’t say “I hate the heat” or “I detest this music” when you simply dislike them.
Modulate your emotions while describing them. Use language with precision, and you will discover that extreme emotions are conceptual fabrications.
Zen Flash 
Recent Comments