Victim in Conversation

"Being silent isn't being strong,

it's being a victim."

Jane Powell

We use our voice to speak our truth out of respect for our own value.  We may choose to withhold our words from someone else, but not at the cost of disrespecting the self.  When we speak and find ourselves challenged, it is good for us to evaluate what we have said.  Either we will reinforce what we believe or become more flexible in what we choose to accept.

We are not required to defend thoughts, but we are nudged to share our truth without apologizing or minimizing.  There are times when we boldly  express out view, only to abbreviate mid-thought when we sense displeasure from the listener.  When we disengage abruptly, we  create a sense of feeling lesser than the other.  We are dishonoring our selves as well as disrespecting integrity.

Allowing others to pontificate while we are screaming in our minds, helps no one.  Our angst builds  within and eventually erupts through anger.  We have a responsibility to ourselves to gently disagree before an argument builds, otherwise self-containing our opposing views costs us personally.

By not speaking our truth, we also give others a false impression of what we believe.  Our silence can be misconstrued as agreement.  It is important to acknowledge a statement without insulting the speaker.  "I understand what you are saying, but it does not resonate with me."  There is no judgment and we do not create the scenario of being the victim of the conversation.