“Be still when you have nothing to say; when genuine passion moves you, say what you’ve got to say, and say it hot.”
It is better to stand there and look the fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. At the same time, there are people who enjoy hearing the sound of their own voices, so they’ll talk for the simple sake of talking rather than actually having something of substance to say. And perhaps this comes back to the notion of my personality type and how I typically prefer to keep to myself unless I really have something to add to the conversation.
Depending on your perspective, you may interpret such behavior as being aloof or rude or weird; it’s not that at all. (Well, it might be weird, but that’s for another discussion for another day.) Instead, it has a lot more to do with the strategic expenditure of energy and effort. As an introvert, social interactions can be positively exhausting. Given the option, I’d rather not be the center of attention and I’d rather take on the role of the quiet thinker, philosopher and observer.
It may be true that I majored in my worst subject in school over a decade ago, but I did decide to minor in English Literature and one of the authors we were presented was D. H. Lawrence
If you really don’t have anything to say, it’s okay to keep quiet. However, if something really does capture your interest and you have objectives you’d like to accomplish, you will feel compelled to speak. Under those circumstances, you shouldn’t simply whisper your thoughts, muttering under your breath. You should let your passion guide you and “say it hot.” Be loud. Be proud. Be unforgiving.
This just may be at the heart of great writing and incredible poetry. Let that fire come burning through your words and you may spark a “grand tradition” of your own.
I think a lot of people could benefit from this lesson. You don’t need to look any further than the Sunday morning political shows for proof. 🙂
I love the quote and appreciate the philosophy. However, it seems to be the antithesis of the mentality. People are constantly talking/sharing etc. regardless of the importance of the subject. It’s as if it’s not important unless it’s shared.
This is because the people who came up with these quotes have no patience with people who talking meaninglessly. Just by giving quotable quotes like the one by Lawrence, they try to save themselves trouble. So do others like Michael who quote them.