In this lecture His Holiness Pope Shenouda talks about the manners of speech and the qualities of good speech from a spiritual and educational perspective. He calls for reducing excess in speech, choosing appropriate topics, and respecting the listener’s time and psyche.

Main points:

• Conciseness and economy in speech: Excessive talk may lead to mistakes and tire your listener, so let speech be brief and expressive.

• Respect the listener’s time value: Do not waste others’ time on trivial topics or repetitive explanations with no benefit.

• Speak about what you know: Do not speak on topics you are not specialized in so you do not say trivial words.

• Quality of the topic over its quantity: Choose useful topics that are psychologically and socially acceptable, and beware of revealing secrets or matters that upset the listener.

• Humility and manners: Be humble in your speech, give others a chance, and do not interrupt or belittle them.

• Gentle style in criticism: Begin with praise before criticism; present your critique with a question or gently so that you win souls rather than lose them.

• Choosing words and timing: Choose gentle and measured words, and speak at the appropriate time calmly, not with noise.

• The secret of silence and wisdom: Silence is sometimes wisdom; know when to speak and when to be silent so your words have value and impact.

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