What's the matter with chatter?

Beware the loose tongue!
Photo by Mahdiabbasinv

Although speaking in tongues might sometimes be a gift of the Holy Spirit, speaking with tongues quite often is not.

The Book of James addresses this chatter-matter head on.  From Chapter One: Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak...  If someone thinks he is religious yet does not bridle his tongue, and so deceives his heart, his religion is futile...  From Chapter Three: So too the tongue is a small part of the body, yet it has great pretensions. Think how small a flame sets a huge forest ablaze. And the tongue is a fire!

The tongue has wreaked so much havoc on office politics that Karen Burns of U.S. News & World Report has put together a listing of "40 Topics You Can't Discuss at Work."  The top ten include religion, sexual exploits, aches and pains, and workplace gossip.  Other eye-catching entries include how messy your house is, how much you hate a thing, your diet, and your extensive knowledge of curse words.

Lest there be moments of (gasp) silence, Burns provides examples of tongue-worthy topics.  That list (smaller in length, but greater in depth) includes such topics as history, music, a class you're taking, or a book you're reading.

The world might be a better place if these suggestions were applied to overall relationships.  Although Burns suggests that it might be easier to "totally let your hair down" with family and buddies, many have found that this can often boomerang.  (Law of Karma: What goes around comes around!)

It might therefore be best to recall Buddha's three questions.  Before speaking, ask yourself:  Is it true? Is it necessary?  And perhaps most of all: Is it kind?

Resources

https://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2010/04/28/40-topics-you-cant-discuss-at-work

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James%203&version=NIV