Know Before You Say

Know Before you Say 

Well, you know, I I heard that. I read it at someplace. I’ve never seen something about that on social media. I remember reading a little tiny article about that. We live in a world of communications world where things are communicated very quickly. Today I’d like to look at communication. And how we can make our own communication with each other better.                                                                                                                                                      Hi everybody and welcome to our walk together. Glad you found some time to join me today and walk with me for a while as we consider and we talk about communication and our responsibilities in educating ourselves, you know. Today’s fast-paced world information is readily available at our fingertips. And it’s more important than ever to educate ourselves before engaging in conversations. Speaking with now knowledge can lead to misunderstandings, misinterpretation, misinterpretations, excuse me, and even conflict. It’s crucial. It is crucial to take the time to educate yourself on a subject. Before speaking about it, especially if you’re engaging in a conversation or voicing your opinions. So often today we read something on it on a social media, or we hear somebody with a with a little 3 second snippet about something, or we see it in a particular news channel or a particular way of of looking at things. And we take that out to be fact. And nothing is more dangerous, I think, to our communication to our understanding of each other than to educate ourselves thoroughly on what we’re talking about. So many things in the past, I would say in the past, not even month, have become so misinterpreted because people hear one word and continue on from there, without really ever finding the source. When we do tend to find the source and take the time to find the source of what we’re talking about, we demonstrate respect. We demonstrate intellectual curiosity, and we show our commitment to effective communication. Being well informed not only increases our credibility but also broadens our perspective when we educate ourselves on the subject. We gain a deeper understanding of the topic, which allows us to approach conversations with more insight and clarity. By being well informed, we can contribute to meaningful and valuable insights. Fostering a more constructive and engaging dialogue, and additionally being knowledgeable enables us to ask thoughtful questions encouraging others to share their perspectives and enriching the conversation. In in the Franciscan tradition, the Franciscan tradition on education is is largely right now, or more recent the the result of the work of Saint Bonaventure. The Franciscans, at the time at the time of Bonifacio, came to believe that education is a highly valued thing and see it as a means of personal growth and understanding. The early Franciscans were involved in preaching the word and Saint Francis of Assisi himself believed that in order to preach, you needed knowledge and understanding. Knowledge also was essential for living a meaningful and purposeful life. This perspective emphasizes the importance of educating oneself before engaging in conversations and by following this approach we can ensure that our interactions are rooted in. Accurate information and thoughtful consideration. So often we have conversations that don’t completely look at the entire story, don’t look at all the parts of it. So often we  take one little part and we say well, this is what what’s being said rather than going back and reading the source for ourselves, seeing what is being said by the person who is the author of, of whatever we’re talking about. To try and see what they actually means. To educate ourselves effectively, we need to start, and this is really, really important. I think we need to start by seeking reliable sources of information. Reliable sources of information. And I’ll tell you a secret. Social media are not reliable sources of information. Just because something is on a particular platform doesn’t mean that it’s right. But how often do we hear that? You need to look for reputable books, scholarly articles, and trusted, trusted whoops websites that provide in depth analysis and diverse perspectives on a particular subject matter. Getting all of our information from social media is often false and misleading. We need to take the time to read, to listen, and to watch various sources to gain a comprehensive understanding. Additionally, we need to engage in critical thinking and evaluate the credibility of the sources you encounter. It’s not enough just to read something or to see something, or to see something on the news or whatever. We need to have a part in that ourselves. We all have the ability to critically think about what is being said and the first question we should ask ourselves is, does this sound logical? Does this sound like what I’m hearing? Does this sound like what I have heard other people say? Critical thinking to evaluate the credibility of the source. This is commonly called fact checking. In fact checks checking and cross referencing of information are essential steps. In the process of educating yourself, particularly in educating yourself in facts. Fact checking is an integral part of the education process. In an area where misunderstanding and misinformation can spread rapidly, it’s essential to verify the accuracy of the information you encounter. I remember many years ago there was a there was a activity that we used to do where we put. People on one line and the idea was that you would start, you would say something to the first person in the line and then that person was supposed to repeat it to the person after to repeat it to the person after, and so on and so. North and by the time it got to the very last person. The message was often completely different than what the message was in the beginning. And social media works that way too. Fact checking and allows you to discern between reliable information and falsehoods, enabling you to form well informed opinions. And engage in meaningful conversations. Develop the habit of fact checking by cross referencing information. I can’t say that enough cross reference the information that you see. Consulting reputable sources and staying updated with the latest developments. So important. Find out if what you read and if what you’re being told and if what you think you’re read are actually the truth. Before you go off spreading all kinds of craziness before you speak, even in regular conversation, it’s crucial to educate yourself on both sides of an issue. That approach promotes empathy and open minded mindedness and a more nuanced understanding. By exploring different perspectives, you can develop a well, well-rounded viewpoint and engage in more meaningful conversations. If all of your information comes from one source and all sources, no matter what they are new sources on television, television programs, particular networks, it’s what we read in social media, what we read on, on our computers. They all have a particular. Sometimes they’re pretty close to the truth, and sometimes they’re way far away, but we need to look at those different perspectives. By looking at those, we’ll get to be a little bit more well-rounded in what we’re talking about. Maybe we could just take a minute when we’re doing that to see the other person’s opinion, see the other side of a particular issue. And see if where we fit in there. We need to understand the other person too, understanding both sides of an issue. Allows us to appreciate the complexities and the nuances involved. Nothing in the world is as easy. As a one sentence social media post. That doesn’t exist. Everything is much more complex than that, much more nuanced than that, and we need to know that, know what’s being said. Those kinks can lead to a more productive and respective dialogue and conversation with each other. When we speak without any kind of understanding of both sides of an issue. It can be really detrimental in effect to effective communication. It can perpetuate misunderstandings, reinforce biases and contribute to the spread of misinformation by neglecting to educate yourself on opposing viewpoints, you limit your ability to engage in productive conversations and miss out on the opportunities for personal growth. And learning. How many times do we take the time to try to see the other person’s point of view? And that’s on both sides of the fence. We can’t make these dogmatic statements. Without understanding what is being said by everybody. It only leads to misunderstandings and misinterpretations. After we educate ourselves on a subject, then it’s crucial to approach conversations with an open mind and a willingness to listen. An open mind and willingness to listen does not mean that you have to agree. What it means is you show enough respect for the other person to be open minded. And loosen carefully to what they say. So often in our conversations, we find ourselves listening to something, and then the first thing that comes to our mind is the  “yes. But.” You know, we’ve spent so much time trying to find and formulate our response that we don’t hear what’s being said. We need to stop that. We need to stop and listen. The other person is saying again, we don’t have to agree. There’s nothing that says we have to agree. But we need to be willing to listen. We need to respectfully share our insights and also be receptive to different perspectives. Nobody sees things exactly the same way. We need to have a receptivity in ourselves to see that somebody looks at this question from a different viewpoint than I do. Maybe they’re coming from a different background than I do. Maybe their basic beliefs are slightly different than mine. That’s their perspective and we need to be respective. We need to be we, we need to respect that. We also can ask questions. We can ask questions to further the discussion and seek some kind of common ground. Common ground is one of those things that I sometimes wonder if it even exists anymore. We live in a society I fear we are the only way that something can be right in our mind. As if it’s what we believe. It doesn’t have anything to do with seeking common ground. It’s my way or the highway. I’m right. You are wrong. This is now common ground. Remember please that the goal is not necessarily to change someone’s mind. But to foster understanding. And promote A constructive dialogue by embracing empathy. The Great Franciscan virtue of humility. You can engage in productive conversations that lead to personal growth. And mutual respect. Again, you don’t have to agree. But you need to come to an understanding that we all have different thoughts on different things. In conclusion. Educating ourselves before speaking is essential for effective communication. Educating ourselves before we get on our typewriters or our not typewriters, there’s my age again. Before we get on our keyboards or before we start typing things into our cell phones by taking the time. To acquire knowledge on a subject. We then demonstrate respect. And broaden our own perspective. And contribute, therefore, in a more meaningful conversation. The Franciscan view of education emphasizes the importance of understanding and personal growth. Using reliable sources. We need to Fact Check our information. We need to understand both sides of an issue. To ensure in a well-rounded understanding. We need to engage in our conversations with an open mind, listening to others and seeking common ground. Knowledge is power. Knowledge is power and through education we can foster understanding, empathy and productive dialogue. We need to educate ourselves before we speak again. And So what can we do? We need to take the time to educate ourselves on a subject before engaging in any conversation about it. If you don’t know what you’re talking about, don’t say anything so often. That leads to misunderstanding. If we don’t follow that rule. And by doing that, we demonstrate respect. Intellectual curiosity and a commitment to effective communication. Let’s strive in our everyday lives for meaningful and constructive dialogues by equipping ourselves with knowledge and most importantly. By respecting the others that we are talking to.