Ever say something then wish you hadn't? I think everyone has had that happen. It's not a great feeling when you realize that what you said might have hurt someone or, at least, been misunderstood and taken the wrong way. This can happen when you write, too. You know what you want to say but your reader doesn't always interpret the words in the way you meant. That's way careful editing is so important when you are writing. Have someone else read and proof your work. Is the gammar and spelling correct? Is the meaning clear? What's nice about writing is that you can go back and edit your words; refine them, change them, clarify them. The same cann't be done when you speak, unfortunately. Sure, you can always add, "What I meant was..." but it's a bit too late; the words are alrrady out there floating around in the listener's head. If there's even the slightest possibility that your spoken words will be misunderstood...or you are speaking in anger, pause; pause and mentally edit before you speak. You'll be so glad you did... your audience will be, too. Words spoken in haste are the words that we most deeply regret.
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