18/5/05

I just can't stop loving singing haha, but I cough cough and cough. haha doesn't stop me.

Today, went for kbox with 2 friends at Cineleisure. I songs are ok but i just don't like the attitude of the waiter. Better don't say much or else kbox sue me haha. After singing, its just so hard to think of activities. Is Singapore a boring city? haha. In the end, we brought of of my friend to meet her other friends. We scared she might be feel bored with us.

After that, me and my friend went to Bugis. He said he wanted to buy CD. He bought 3! haha thats alot. Then we went to Bugis Junction. He bought a novel. Thats just power. I don't even think i would have time reading novel. I walked into a shop and saw lots of jigsaw puzzles. I wanted to do one, but i don't know if i have time! I would really like to have one hanging in my house.

After Bugis, we went to Bishan to collect my pants that was sent for alteration last week. As what I told my friend, shopping needs stamina haha. Need to train.

Slice of Life

Small Minds Discuss People

We all understand keenly the power of information. The battle can be won simply because one side intercepted news of the enemy's intention. A rash email can become a source of deep embarrassment, not to mention a potential source of blackmail. A person's reputation can be ruined by rumour.

Most of the time, our talk is a positive attribute. It helps us make friends and helps others feel included in a group. But sometimes, we get so caught up in talking and "doing what comes naturally" that we forget to think before we open our mouths.

There is an adage that goes "The kindest word in all the world is the unkind word, unsaid."

Here's something to think about the next time we feel the urge to talk about someone, or are in the presence of someone talking about someone else.

Do I know this to be the absolute truth? Am I adding embellishments of my own? How well-informed am I about this person or this situation? Am I qualified to make a judgement? Did I get this news from someone else? How reliable is that person? Is he or she consistently gossiping about others? Am I pointing out the flaws of others in order to distract people from my own? Would I want this news shared about me?

I know it's extremely difficult to hold our tongues - very often we think of it as "just making conversation". But think about what your words are doing. Are you muddying the person's reputation just for a bit of "conversation"? What are your words doing to you? What are they doing to other people's perception of you?
A quote attributed to former American First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt goes: "Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people."

The next time you're drawn into a conversation, watch what you say. What are you discussing? What impressions are you forming, intentionally or unintentionally? Are you preoccupied with the trivial pursuits, trials and defeats of other people instead of focusing on your own flaws and working on them to improve yourself? Are you a walking soap opera?

What we say about other people also says volumes about the kind of person we are. As someone once wrote: "The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly."