The Barker, The Talker

None know the fount of the angelic and the feral.
One man blurted out everything on his mind.
No matter that among his thoughts, circling like ravens' feathers in his soul, were insults, slanders and blame -- the unwise, the inaccurate, the unnecessary, and the unkind.
No matter -- all blew out of his head, on the first breeze from his mouth.
To many, this man seemed more a barking dog than a human being.
Another man only tithed what was on his mind.
No matter that among his thoughts, growing like gemstones in his soul, were compliments, accolades and advice.
No matter -- only the wise, the accurate, the necessary, and the kind were quarried, like veins of opal, from the deep well of his voice.
To many, this man seemed more an angel than a human being.
Thus, tithe your thoughts.

March 22, 2014, excerpt from The Parables of Reason © 2007-2014 (Chapter 3, "Emotion's Mastery"), by Frank H. Burton, Executive Director, The Circle of Reason.

Aphorism of the Week

We are born fools, and without great effort fools we remain.

Dedicated in admonishment of President Barack Obama's ad hominem insulting of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Under any circumstances, an insult elicits irrational, emotional responses in its target -- even if the target is a world leader with Syrian and Iranian influence, UN Security Council veto power, exclusive access to the International Space Station, and nuclear weaponry.