Though it is great to speak up, voice your opinion, and express yourself, there are times when you should keep your mouth shut. Speaking your mind in certain cases can lead to uncomfortable, awkward, and bad situations. When uncertain, you should remain quiet. After all, as the saying goes, "Better to be silent and be thought of as a fool, than to speak up and remove all doubt." Here are some examples of moments when you should keep your mouth shut.
A good time when you should keep your mouth shut is when you suspect someone is pregnant. You don’t want to insult someone and/or embarrass yourself by saying congratulations if it’s not actually true. I suggest you wait until she tells you that she is pregnant before you actually say something.
It’s rudimentary, I know, but sometimes people forget that if they have nothing nice to say, they shouldn’t say anything at all. Being rude, mean, or just negative, never gets people anywhere. Every time that I have said something negative in the past, I have always been ashamed of my words later.
Although it is very difficult to hold back when someone insults you, it is best to remain silent. Insulting him/her back is childish, and can make you defensive and possibly lead to a fight. My advice is to be smart, mature, and be the better person by just taking the insult.
This too is an elementary principle, but is often forgotten. It is impolite and rude to interrupt someone when he/she is speaking- unless of course it is for something important, in which case can be interrupted by respectfully saying "Excuse me." Otherwise, talking when someone else is speaking seems almost selfish, as if you and your words are more important than the person who is speaking. So before you start talking, be respectful and patient by remaining silent until the person is finished speaking.
Have you ever wanted to sleep, work, read, or just have some peace and quiet on your train ride? Well, that’s why quiet cars on trains were created! Unfortunately, there are many people who disregard this rule, and talk in these cars. If they want to talk, they should move to another car. Or else, they should keep their mouths shut and be respectful of those who wish to relax.
It’s easy and natural to make assumptions, but be very careful! Assumptions can be wrong, as you don’t have all the facts. You should either ask before assuming anything, or stay quiet.
Have you ever been told "MYOB" (Mind Your Own Business)? Well, you don’t need to know everything about everyone. Some things are just private, and simply none of anyone else’s business. Questions like, "how much money do you make?" or commenting when it is not your place to do so is none of your business.
If you’re a talker, it may be hard to keep your mouth shut. Don’t worry! You now know when to hold back! Have you ever said something that you shouldn’t have said? Can you think of other times when it’s better to remain silent?