Life's Funny That Way

Words V Action

It is better to have less thunder in the mouth and more lightning in the hand."


I have never heard this put this way before, but I like the quote.  It is basically the same, to me, as “Speak softly but carry a big stick.”  And “Actions speak louder than words.”

One of the first examples of this in my life I can think of was with children I babysat years ago.  I remember their mother, a friend of mine, saying that she could never get them to listen.  She yelled and yelled at them, and threatened, and threatened (not physically, of course… but things like, “keep it up, and you’re not getting any ice cream”, etc.), but they still didn’t listen.

The problem was that they had become immune to her yelling.  They also knew the odds were good they would still get whatever it was, or go wherever she told them they would not.  One night, while she was at work, I told the kids that they needed to clean up all of their toys in the living room and put them in their toy box before bed, or I was throwing them all away.  Of course, they didn’t do it (mom usually wound up picking them up, she told me).  I took each toy, put them in a garbage bag, and set all the bags out in garage, where they kids wouldn’t find them.

The next morning, when they woke up to no toys, their mom told them that I had thrown them all away because they didn’t listen to me.  We pulled the stunt off beautifully (eventually giving all the toys back), and the kids learned that the “lightning” would follow the “thunder”, if you will.  The two girls sat on the couch, very sad, for most of the morning and quietly watched TV.  They knew they had been told the consequences of their actions – they just didn’t believe it would ever happen.  Once words were reinforced… thing improved greatly!

This is true in so many other avenues of life.  Most often, it is better to do more and say less.  It is better to show someone you care than to tell them.  Looking back at the month before the election, I feel the same way.  Actions speak louder than words there as well.  As a manager, I apply the same thing to my employees.  They know what I expect and they also know that praise and reprimand will follow uniformly for all actions or inactions taken on their part.  I am consistent and fair.  They know that, not because I tell them, but because they see it on a daily basis.


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