An Idiot's Idiom

A saying goes:
"There is a reason why God gave you two ears and one mouth"


Of course, for time immemorial parents have touted this rather bland (and vague) sentence at children to teach them to listen more and talk less (gah.) Allow me, however, my own take on this:

First, an anecdote. Even before graduating from high school, the pressure and excitement of college already takes root and nearly strangled me. The tests were "easy" enough, i just had to do my best and pray that I would pass- which, of course, was the schools' decisions entirely. However, come January and the news that I had been (thankfully) accepted in both schools I applied to, a myriad troubles suddenly popped up from the ground along with the daisies.

What university should I attend? Beyond that, what Major should I take? Being a responsible student with friends from the upper batches, i interviewed and talked to and received pep talks from friends of both colleges, in almost every imaginable major. Both universities obviously had something to boast about, and those from university A would swear that it was better than university B; and vice versa. One of the schools offered freedom and independence (a definite plus point), and the other offered formation and guidance (a definite plus point all the same). One of the schools boasted its elite graduates; as did the other. I'm sure you can see the point, and i need not elaborate further. But eventually, the time came, and I decided to choose University A (or B, depending on how you look at it).

But now that I had decided to go to University A, I had to choose what Major to take in said school. Again, a lengthy interview process ensued, and convincing arguments (and threats) from both sides arose. And, true to form, I eventually chose one over the other.


Do you get my point?


This is what I mean to say. There is a reason that God has given us 2 ears and 1 mouth beyond that of aesthetic value (god, imagine how horrid the opposite would look). It's not just as simple as listening twice as much as talking. Rather, i believe, that it is to tell us that there will always be arguments and reasons to both sides of the coin, but ultimately, we must make our own decisions.

And perhaps, this is why I find this saying to be the most divine or truthful of all others. Because while the Pen may be mightier than the Sword, Actions speak louder than Words. And although we must soar high towards our dreams, we should also keep our feet rooted on the ground. But no matter what you do, you must choose whether to write or act, or to soar or take root.

2 ears and 1 mouth. This leads to another favorite saying of mine: "your cause will always have its reason". Indeed. Maybe, in some twisted way, this is what explains the "troubles" in the world. Some people hear the right and left statements and choose the right one (ha ha), while others choose the left. Maybe, just maybe, in their heads and hearts and souls, what they are doing is indeed the correct thing- backed by an eons old saying, to boot.

And ultimately, we can only say one thing, despite what two arguments we may hear. And this one thing we say will be heard, along with the other arguments, by the other people who will also have to make their own decisions. And if we backtrack just a little bit, maybe we would realize how our beliefs are our choise between two (or more) others, and that in some ways, the others may be right too. And then maybe we'd understand each other more before we speak to loudly.

If only the world listened twice as much as it spoke.