Loose lips sinks ships
When a small, torn piece of paper fell out of a book I borrowed, I noticed words scribbled in ballpoint pen:
- is it true Is it Kind Does it need to be said -
In an era where unkindness is ubiquitous, these questions seemed to fall from the sky as a gift from heaven. Still, I went to Google to discover their origin.
Within seconds, search results yielded a trove of opinions and theories. Some say the origin is biblical, others believe Socrates first spoke them. Others assert it was Buddha, but some argue it was inspired by the Bhagavad Gita. Of course, some said it was Rumi. And, lastly, a Victorian poem penned by Mary Ann Pietzker showed up. Its title was, “Is It True? Is It Necessary? Is It Kind?”
This wisdom is for the ages and all cultures, which may be why it’s been shared across miles and millennia.
I believe the words we speak create the world. So, to honor my goal of creating a better world, I pledge to honor this Quaker version of the scribbled note. “Let nothing be said about anyone unless it passes through the three sieves: Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?”
Present Valley
Three beautiful questions.
Hi wholeheartedly support your pledge and will join you in doing my best to create a better world. These questions come at a perfect time for me.
Evangel
Thanks! It's hard to do it perfectly, but I will feel stronger for following through as best as possible.
Slipstream
Those three questions brought up a memory of my grandma who used to say, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” She lived true to those words and set a great example for everyone. Although life doesn't always encourage proper behavior, we can all do better. Thank you for the reminder.
Evangel
Very true. And my mother said the same thing and lived true to her word till the day she died. I greatly admired that in her.