Think About It

What do we do when someone misstates something? If you are like me, I want to correct them so they get it right. I mean, after all, people don’t want to sound ignorant do they? Now, while that might be a rationale for correcting people, I wonder if that is really what is going on? When I correct them, is it because I want to make sure everything is correct for the record, or do I do it just to show others how smart I am? Let’s take this one step further. Why do we correct people when they are mistaken on things we have personally seen or heard? Again, is it to make sure that the true facts are known or is it to brag about how much “in the know” we are? I am sure there are times when correctness could probably be more important than kindness, but too often we speak too abruptly and pointedly. Rather than help people get things right, our desire is to show our superiority. It’s not the desire for veracity that is behind our interjection, it is arrogance. Let’s be smart enough

In 1974 Chaka Khan and Rufus had a hit with the song, “Tell Me Something Good”. The song had a funky vibe that was punctuated with the phrase, “Tell me something good”. Like many of the songs of my youth, I am pretty certain that the song was not an anthem for moral reform, but the older I get the more I long for someone to “tell me something good”. It is all too common to be bombarded with all the negativity in the world. Not only are we surrounded by troubles and tragedy, we also have to listen to all kinds of people make disparaging statements about others. Quite frankly, I am tired of hearing the bad, tell me something good! What could happen in our families, our churches, our work places, our schools, our communities and even our nation if we made more of an effort to tell something good? Sure, there will always be tales of heartache, but how would things change if those where the exceptions rather than rule? Interestingly, if we focused on routinely relating the good and s