Discretion:
the quality of being discreet, esp. with reference to one's own actions or speech; prudence or decorum.
Where has discretion gone in our society? People seem so free to share every private detail about their personal lives anymore.
It is like constantly watching The Jerry Springer Show or Maury.
I am amazed at the information my high school-aged daughter knows about the sexual lives of her fellow classmates...and these aren't even close friends.
But it isn't just teenagers.
Couldn't Senator Larry Craig have been a little more discreet? I actually saw Senator Craig two or three days after the "incident" happened while on my trip to Washington D.C. last June. One of his staff was giving us a tour of the Capitol Building, and we ran into him in the corridor.
And we were also in the Minneapolis Airport that week because we switched planes there. Thank goodness we didn't know of the things going on.
Idaho Escapee at Atmospheric Ruminations shared his thoughts on the subject here, and his thoughts got me thinking.
Why do people share their "dirty laundry"? Why do people make choices that could very well become public, when they are public figures themselves?
Is it a lack of
self control?
1. control or restraint of oneself or one's actions, feelings, etc.
I just finished reading a book by Gregg Olsen called "Confessions of an American Black Widow" a true crime novel about a woman whose lover killed two of her husbands. She was the poster child for lack of self control. She married for money. She killed for money. She lived for what she wanted. She had sex with whoever and whenever she wanted. And ended up in jail with no chance of parole until she is in her 80's.
In my world, discretion and self control are pretty big on the list of things to do in your life. The Bible talks about self control as being one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. So to me it is pretty important. It isn't always easy, but I know I try and live the way I believe God wants me to, so those fruits are lived through my life. I believe He helps me and gives me strength to have self control.
I've learned I can't do everything I want to do in life. I can't have everything I want. Giving in to my every desire is dangerous. It is good to show restraint.
And that way I don't have to know so much about everyone's business.
TMI (Too Much Information)
Can you all just keep that stuff to yourselves?
4 comments:
I'd say I went through a too long period in my life when I thought if I didn't just say whatever I thought or tell anything and everything about myself, I'd be thought of as repressed, uptight, etc.
I've pulled way back. I try to be more discreet about divulging details of my personal life, whether family life or married life.
I would think it would be very confusing for those who have grown up with the World Wide Web and the way it's been consciously and freely used by many to reveal private parts of their. Where are the boundaries? What standards should one use?
Your post is very good. I think I've gained self-respect by being more discreet. Exercising more, but often not enough, discretion has elevated my sense of maturity and self-confidence.
I've found that it's about accountability. When people are in "leadership" roles, they actually become isolated. Isolation leads to perversion. When people like Larry Craig or Ted Haggard decide they are "above" the things they preach/lobby about - they become a walking target for temptation regarding those things. For these reasons, I think it's really important that we don't "idolize" humans, raising them to a level of "untouchable" that they do not deserve. Leaders need to be accountable, both to the people that they lead and the people they are in company with. Senators and the like, should bring their families to live with them in DC... can you imagine how many less "trysts" there would be if they were going home for dinner with their wives? If a history of their web use was sent to a person they trusted once a week, would they surf it any differently? maybe so... my point? Accountability.
It is a strong defense against temptation.
Ughhh gross lets not go into those days of math when I learned way to much
-cries-
TMI TMI TMI
I'm glad I am not one of those girls.
Timely thoughts and excellent post.
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