Proverbs 29:11 - Quietly

A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.

Proverbs 29:11

I think that the idea of quietly holding back your emotions and thoughts is something that is a completely foreign concept in American culture. We have our devices and our social media outlets and our besties, and they are all available at almost a moment's notice to hear anything and everything we have to say, whether they want to or not. Facebook is notorious for a reason. It's filled with good things and helps families stay connected over long distances, but it is also an easy place to display rage, give teasing comments that no one really understands, throw a pity party, or try to ruin an enemy's reputation.

I have only a few images in my mind of people who quietly hold back anything. Most of them are not in my generation. Some in older generations hold their emotions in check with a practiced skill. They are as human, flesh and blood, as the twelve-year-old throwing a fit on Twitter. But they save their emotions and thoughts for those who have earned their trust and confidence. Or they quietly contemplate their issues and problems, often prayerfully, before saying anything. Maybe after calculated thought, they find that there is actually no need to say anything.

I hate to think that my generation is filled with fools. I know that we have our own insights to living that are unique and valid.

But according to this verse, I begin to worry about us just a little bit.

How often do I have to "vent" my frustrations? True, I choose to do it privately with a few trusted friends and family members. But is it okay to be doing this regularly? I feel that it's necessary to get by sometimes because, let's face it, this world is awful. 

But this verse does check me.

Not everything has to be vented. 

Some thoughts and emotions are still in formation and lack clarity if expressed before they have had time to be weighed, measured, and tested.

It is difficult to discern when to speak and when to remain silent. 

One of my favorite quotes (though I don't always practice it) is from Abraham Lincoln:

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.