Expressing Disagreement

            In a dispute, it can be hard to be kind. A professor by the name of Parson was engaged in an argument with a man. Professor Parson grew so sarcastic that he exasperated the gentleman with whom he argued.

            At last, the man said, “Professor, I am going to have to walk away because my opinion of you is a perfectly contemptible one.”

            Professor Parson replied, “I never knew any opinion of yours, sir, which was not contemptible.”

            “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Prov. 15:1.) ESV

A Soft Answer

A proverb I always try to remember is Prov. 15:1, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

A good example of how hard it is to live out this teaching is found in a story appearing in READER’S DIGEST several years ago:

            A woman who frequented a small antiques shop rarely purchased anything but always found fault with the merchandise and prices. The manager and her salesclerk took the woman's grumpy complaints in stride, but one day she went too far. "Why is it I never manage to get what I ask for in your shop?" demanded the woman.

            A smile on her face, the clerk calmly replied, "Perhaps it's because we're too polite."