Remaining Silent

I can't seem to pinpoint who exactly said it, but I remember an old saying "Better to remain silent and thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt."  I thought of this after reading the last two verses of Proverbs 17 today...

A man of knowledge uses words with restraint
and a man of understanding is even tempered.

Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent,

and discerning if he holds his tongue.

Sometimes it's hard to keep quiet, but it's usually the wiser choice.  It gives you a chance to listen to someone else and maybe learn something...and it also gives you a chance to think before you speak so that whatever you do say will be well thought out and hopefully important.

I used to have a sign on my fridge that I used with the boys as a reminder and a teaching tool...it said:

Before you speak, ask yourself if what you need to say is

T - true

H - helpful

I  - important

N - necessary

K - kind

(It goes along with Philippians 4:8 if you wanted to read that for a comparison.)