The greatest way to say something

(113 words, 26-second read)

I was listening to my playlist the other day. The song Say Something, by Justin Timberlake came on.

A versus in the chorus is:

  • Sometimes the greatest way to say something is to say nothing at all.

Why it matters: This reminded me of a quote by the comedian Craig Ferguson. Before saying something, ask yourself three questions:

  • Does this need to be said?
  • Does this need to be said by me?
  • Does this need to be said by me now?

Reality check ✅: More often than we’d like to think, the answer to these questions is no.

  • Sometimes the greatest way to be a likable writer is to say nothing at all.

Fun fact: This was the first draft.