Don’t Start A Sentence If You Don’t Know How It Ends

If you find you stick your foot in your mouth more often than not, weblog Stepcase Lifehack recommends strengthening your brain-mouth barrier by thinking of the end of your sentence before you speak.

Photo by Jennzebel.

Nowadays, a lot of people seem to talk just to make noise. If that sounds like you (don’t worry, I’m one of those people too), take this simple tip: Don’t start a sentence if you don’t know how it’s going to end.

That was one of my biggest struggles when I started to consciously improve my interpersonal skills. There is this thrill of talking out of nothing, just to have your voice heard. I may say a stupid thing, but what the heck, at least I will make myself heard. What a dumb (and actually easy to avoid) mistake.

The thin interest that you may generate will soon turn into laughter or just plain ignorance. Mean what you say and know exactly how it will turn out before putting it into words. While it looks like it may add some salt and pepper to the conversation by introducing some sort of randomness, speaking without really knowing what you say will only ruin the other part expectations. They’re talking to you because they’re searching for meaning, not for randomness.

This, essentially, helps you keep an eye on that brian-mouth barrier everyone always tells you to improve, and it will keep you from saying things that are at best, stupid, and at worst, mean or hurtful. The flip side of us likely overapply this idea. Sometimes you need to make a leap and just see where you land. Ultimately, it depends on the kind of person you are. Hit the link to read more, and let’s hear what you feel applies more to you in the comments.

5 Simple And Obvious Tips For Better Communication [Stepcase Lifehack]