There was a rude remark I could have made back to her right then
and I watched it go by like a bright blue sailboat on a long gray river of silence
Tony Hoagland
Such a lush portrait of restraint. To me, Hoagland’s bright blue sailboat is a fitting tribute to his — my, your, our — judicious decision not to add to the world’s distress.
Practice: Observe a conversation that’s going well and notice how many times each participant decides not to say something they were about to say. Skill involves selection.
Related practices: Seek silence, No easy jobs