Applauding Own Speech

A colleague was invited to make a speech in Japan. Aware of his reputation as a very good speaker, he was surprised that his audience did not react at all to any of his perfectly timed jokes and witticisms. In fact, the audience did not react to anything he said.

Somewhat put down, he went back to his seat and a Japanese gentleman appeared on the stage. This man had a terrific success! People laughed and applauded, and although the original speaker could not understand one bit of what was said, still he started to applaud, as the man evidently deserved praise for this perfect speech.

He was interrupted by the chairman of the conference, "No no, sir. You must not applaud."

Dumbfounded, he protested: "But why? This man is obviously a very good speaker."

"No sir, you must not applaud. He is translating your speech."

The message is when you communicate, it's not only important to have a very powerful message and content, it's more important that the audience must be able to understand what you are trying to say.

Good communication is making sure the person, who is  receiving your message, can fully understand you.

Socrates And Knowlwdge

There's a story about a proud young man who came to Socrates asking for knowledge. 

He walked up to the muscular philosopher and said, "O great Socrates, I come to you for knowledge." 

Socrates recognized a pompous idiot when he saw one. 

He led the young man through the streets, to the sea, and chest deep into water. Then he asked, "What do you want?" 

"Knowledge, O wise Socrates," said the young man with a smile. 
Socrates put his strong hands on the man's shoulders and pushed him under. 

Thirty seconds later Socrates let him up. "What do you want?"he asked again. "Wisdom," the young man sputtered, "O great and wise Socrates." 

Socrates crunched him under again. Thirty seconds passed, thirty-five. Forty. Socrates let him up. The man was gasping. 

"What do you want, young man?" Between heavy, heaving breaths the fellow wheezed, "Knowledge, O wise and wonderful..." 

Socrates jammed him under again Forty seconds passed. Fifty. "What do you want?" "Air!" he screeched. "I need air!" 

"When you want knowledge as you have just wanted air, then you will have knowledge." 

And what's the best knowledge there is? 

The knowledge of God. 

Four Words

A boy was born to a couple after eleven years of marriage. They were a loving couple and the boy was the apple of their eyes. When the boy was around two years old, one morning the husband saw a medicine bottle open. He was late for work so he asked the wife to cap the bottle and keep it in the cupboard. The mother, preoccupied in the kitchen, totally forgot the matter.

The boy saw the bottle and playfully went to the bottle and, fascinated with its color, drank it all. It happened to be a poisonous medicine meant for adults in small dosages. When the child collapsed, the mother hurried him to the hospital, where he died. The mother was stunned. She was terrified how to face her husband.

When the distraught father came to the hospital and saw the dead child, he looked at his wife and uttered just four words.

What do you think were the four words?

The husband just said "I Love You, Darling!"

The husband's totally unexpected reaction is a 'life-giving'  behavior. The child is dead. Blaming his wife will not bring the child back to life. Besides, if only he had taken time to keep the bottle away, this would never have happened. No point in attaching blame. She has also lost her only child. What she needs at that moment is consolation and sympathy from her husband. That is what he gives her.

Sometimes we spend time asking who is responsible or who is to blame, whether in a relationship, in a job or with the people we know. We miss out some warmth in human relationship in giving each other support. After all, shouldn't forgiving someone we love be the easiest thing in the world to do? Treasure what you have. Do not multiply pain, anguish and suffering by refusing to forgive.

If everyone can look at life with this kind of perspective, there would be more joy and fewer problems in the family, society and world.

Take off all your anger, envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness, and fears and you will find that living with others is actually not as difficult as you think...！