Thursday; December 7

If you have spent much time reading my thoughts you know that I am a sucker for a pithy quip. Well, the other day I found a hidden gem that may not be well known, but makes a ton of sense. In a collection of proverbs I found one that proclaimed, “Empty vessels sound most”. I guess I can’t be certain what the original sage had in mind, but the first thing that came to my mind was how often people who have the least to brag about do the most talking. Those who accomplish the least are often the ones who shout the loudest. People who are full of knowledge and accomplishments are typically content letting others sing their praises, but those who have more pride than productivity are often the ones tooting their horns the loudest. I guess there could be a lot of reasons for it, but the simplest explanation might be that they aren’t accomplishing enough to be recognized, so they have to tell the world what they are doing!

Centuries ago, the wise man Solomon observed, “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger and not your own lips.” (Proverbs 27:2). Most of us are skeptical when someone heaps praise on themselves, so it is better to remain quiet than to proclaim our own greatness. If we have to sing our own praises, maybe would brag less and work more.

Think About It!

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