Most men will proclaim each his own loving-commitment,
But who finds a trustworthy man?
Proverbs 20:6 (TS2009)
I had a conversation with some friends last night about how I tend to polarize and create enemies without meaning to.
One of the examples I used was regarding languages.
I’ve been in various situations where I’ve met someone proclaiming to speak this language or that language, and in my excitement, I’d begin speaking to them in said language– sometimes other people are around– and then they give me the deer in the headlights look while I feel like a jerkhole for the rest of the day.
It’s happened to me too though, like the time I was at a Vietnamese restaurant in Utah.
The frequency of which this happens has taught me to 1) never assume someone’s level of proficiency– to always ask questions to gauge and then work up to a practice conversation if appropriate;
and 2) always be transparent about my own level of proficiency and never compare myself to others.
Pride comes before the fall— and I’ve seen this play out time and time again in the realm of language.
If you boast about being good at something, are you able to back it up?
It’s better to not boast at all and let others put in the good word for you.