Speak Less

For example, young people are never really in a position to argue with seasoned elders about the principles of being human; the only thing you can do is listen. And I have always been the listener, yet no one is willing to take the time to listen to me describe the path of my own heart… Those willing to listen to me laugh are kindred spirits; those who can hear me cry are soul friends. What I lack is not people who understand my thoughts, but people who can patiently listen as I speak them aloud. When I try to express myself, people say my words are all mumbling and rambling, and they say my manner is condescending, so I can no longer go on speaking; being subjected to these criticisms makes me extremely distressed. I have realized that no matter how hard I try to speak, the awkwardness of my language cannot be changed, nor can the depth of my thinking be reduced; my account of things is always offensive, so I should just speak less. Speak less, make fewer mistakes.

Translated from the Chinese original with AI assistance. The original text is authoritative.