Once upon a time Albert Einstein proclaimed that “the world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything”. And quite rightly said; silence is an action too. However, many of us confuse being ‘the silent person’ with being ‘the good person’. By remaining silent we often convince ourselves that we’re being politically correct and neutral, not outwardly upsetting anybody or hurting anyone’s feelings. But being silent doesn’t always equate to being a ‘good person’; sometimes our lack of action is what hurts those around us most. A ‘good person’ follows their moral compass and does the right thing regardless of the repercussions or backlash that they may face later on. And sometimes the right thing means taking a stand and speaking up.
Yeah sure, you may avoid a few arguments and some stress-induced headaches by keeping mum. But the downside is that until you know what it’s like to put your neck on the line for someone/something you’ll never truly be able to wrap your head around the concepts of loyalty or respect… and to me that’s sad :/. Plus in the long-run you’ll end up developing a weak and cowardly disposition because of all that playing Switzerland and fence-sitting.
Malcolm X rightly said that “a man who stands for nothing will fall for anything”. And Martin Luther King Jr stated that, “our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” And I love both of those quotes because I’m a strong believer in standing up for what you believe in. Blame it on the ever-growing influence of my overly-opinionated dad if you must, but the older I get the more I’m becoming certain that this is the best way to be. People also think twice before walking all over you when you make it clear that they’ll have hell to pay if they do!
There’s nothing admirable about being a yes man and burying your head in the sand waiting for an issue to blow over OR for somebody else to come along and deal with it for you. Confrontation can be scary, I understand that. But you need to be true to yourself, what’s more important than that? We all need to get into the habit of speaking our truth. It’s healthy for the mind and soul… ok that was cheesy! But seriously, just go for it: EXPRESS YOURSELF.
Just A Small Town Girl... 
I believe as we get older especially, we must be confident to say what we think and feel out loud. I love this post affirming we must express ourselves openly and boldly!
Definitely! I’m glad that you could relate so well to it 😀
Amen! Speak up. 😉
Thanks for stopping by 🙂
It s a strange coincidence… When ever I think of a topic at length to speak about in my Toastmasters meeting , for some reason u choose the same topic for ur articles…this has happened Atleast 6 times now!!! 😶 and u put my messed up thoughts into organised words!! thanku 🙇
Haha I’m glad to be of service! Lets see if you can predict my next post…
Not writing a speech anytime soon… 😋 when I write I will reply..
Can I just say “Hells Yeah!” My last ex biggest line is what a great guy he is…Pfft! My ex’s friends don’t like me, and I did ask them why and I’d never hear back. Because of that though, I wouldn’t always be in the mood to hang out with his friends. After we broke up I found out what his friends had been saying me at these gatherings and how he did nothing! He didn’t say anything to them, didn’t walk out the room…Nothing! I felt more betrayed by him doing that, then the ex who cheated on me the whole time. He is actually the only ex I am not friends with.
I would love to reblog this!
That is a classic example of how silence can be the worst type of action. Glad to hear that he’s an ex!
I’m glad too!lol
Stand by your principles, indeed. If you don’t have any, then in my opinion you will follow the flock of sheep. I agree one should always express their thoughts, not necessarily “speak their mind” as you can often lose the diplomacy that may be required. Problem we still suffer from is jumping into letting people know what we are thinking as opposed to stepping back for a minute to have a think. Good post.
Yes standing by your principles is a must! I think that it shows strength of character. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Definitely glad I’m following your blog! I could never differentiate between being straight up rude or just being opinionated but after interning in two companies, I now see the value of standing up for what you believe in. I’ve seen firsthand how even lending the smallest voice can create a huge difference!
Glad you found the post to be so thought-provoking Karan 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
This is so inspiring..
I’m really glad that you enjoyed it Jackie 🙂