Listen With Both Ears, Then Speak...

There is a lot of buzz about upcoming elections and everyone seems to have an opinion they want heard.  Problem is, we tend to forget common basic courtesies when convinced that our views are undermined or worse, not heard. When you find yourself with an audience and the opportunity to express your thoughts, there are 3 very important courtesies to remember. If you want to be respected, even from those who disagree, commit these courtesies to practice and your long term memory:

1. Listen to the ideas of others calmly and without ugly, negative remarks or facial expressions.
2. Speak with confidence not anger. A humble yet confident speaker can calm an obnoxious group.
3. Refrain from personal attacks. Remain respectful and considerate of those who challenge your comments and know when to end verbal exchanges.

As adults (supposedly the ones with common sense), we are charged with the responsibility of setting good examples for our children. We even voice our disgust at the group of teens arguing on the street or at the group of kids wandering the mall with loud, inconsiderate behavior. How is it then that we (those same common sense adults) support public figures who voice and display disrespectful and demeaning verbal exchanges under the cloak of "making a campaign speech." And we do this on very public forums including national television. There is no rocket science in understanding why our kids show little restraint for ugly public disagreements - they have so many good adult teachers! Individual speeches and group debates can be informative to an audience without demeaning comments, and nasty swaps. We should demand a better display of intelligent self control and hold one another to a higher standard, especially public figures we label as community leaders, politicians, artists, and celebrities.