“Life and death are in the power of the tongue” I believe this wholeheartedly. Words that I have spoken have both hindered me and pushed me forward in life. What you say can be used against you, help you to form positive relationships, create enemies for you, and in general, of course assist you in your day to day communication. If you have an active vocabulary, you can improve your writing. If you know what to say when situations arise, you can de-escalate.

If someone is upset, and you have the right words and the right way of speaking them, you can help them through their situations. Even if you are silent, you can listen to others words and learn from them… you can learn both what to do and what NOT to do from just listening. I do believe wholeheartedly that words can help you conquer life or fail.

I’ve met many people throughout my life (and let’s be honest, I have been one of them and am just as guilty) who say everything that they think, everything that they feel to anyone who will listen. I have learned that in doing so, you are both giving people ammunition and firing shots at the same time. A battle of words, if you will. Talking about everything to everyone is not a very tactful way to live. If you are quiet, and you watch and listen, you are able to choose your shots, hit the right spot hard, and your enemies will fall. Silence provides no ammunition, but those who speak will and you’ll have the upper hand.

That being said, if you talk about personal thoughts, feelings, and events to certain types of people, and then listen to their responses, they will tell you more and more. People want to be understood and want other people to listen to them. If you give someone a little bit, it will encourage further trust in giving you more information, just to be able to find something else to relate. Listening is important in this case, but communicating is also important. Most people will get bored of hearing themselves talk with no encouragement.

Now, there are also those that never speak. They always listen, and just take life as it comes. They may have one or two that they will trust to share bits and pieces of themselves, but they never fire shots. That is a dangerous place to be. People can either feel threatened by silence or they can try to walk all over you. It’s good to know when to speak and stand up for yourself. People can be persuasive, people can assert dominance when it is entirely unnecessary to make them feel better about themselves. Knowing when to speak is important in general, and there are times when you MUST speak for yourself in order to live a better lifestyle. For those that never speak, utilize what you have learned from listening and make your situations better, speak up. When a person who is always silent speaks, most will listen just out of surprise of the rarity that you speak. You have power even with in that.

All in all, words matter, communication matters. Whether in work, personal relationships, or the stranger on the bench. You never know when you’re going to need allies, because you will always have enemies. What you say can encourage someone or bring people down… be careful. Be tactful. “A fool says everything he knows, but the wise know when to speak” Be wise, be honest. Listen, watch, wait for the opportune moment, and don’t say too much to the wrong people, because life and death IS in the power of the tongue.