“God Damn It, Stop Cursing!”

Have you notices that people are trying to use language to shift fear to anger these days? It is a primal human tribal response, but we mustn’t fall into it. Before you speak, see if your words pass the “Three Gates.” If they do not…ask yourself why you are saying them.

IS IT TRUE? To the best of your ability to determine, is the statement factual?

IS IT USEFUL? What specifically is the utility of the thing you just said? What are you hoping people will feel, think, know, or do in response? Actions have reactions. What SPECIFICALLY is your intent?

IS IT KIND? In a world where so many are marinating in fear, are your words designed to calm the heart? Direct the energy in a positive way? Do you care about their possible consequences, or are you numb to the fact that unstable people are easily pushed into violence or destructive behavior? Is your intent loving or angry?

When you work on these three, you’ll certainly find times where you can only get one out of three — but just the ATTEMPT to do all three will teach you about yourself. And once you’ve awakened to how difficult this can be when you are agitated, you will know something about the human heart, about the history of mass action and individual communications and family dynamics to which most are oblivious. And at that point you can use it as an X-Ray. You look at what others say, and can ask:

From what perspective is what this person saying TRUE? What map of reality would support this? And if it is…