My family and I just returned from a fantastic vacation in Riviera Maya, Mexico (south of Cancun). We stayed at a beautiful resort called Hacienda Tres Rios (a place I highly recommend, by the way), which is surrounded by a nature preserve. There are 10 cenotes, or underground springs, that feed the three rivers of Tres Rios. I hiked to one of the cenotes to film this video clip where I talk about the importance of taming the tongue…
This tongue of ours get us into SO much trouble in law enforcement. As Dr. George Thompson, the founder of Verbal Judo, says, “When words rise readily to the lips, you are about to make the greatest speech that you will ever regret!”
Even the Bible has something to say about taming the tongue. In the book of James (3:9-11), it says:
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?
At Cenote Hondo, I was reminded of the Bible’s reference to a spring producing both fresh and salt water. It is so important for us as professional law enforcement officers to control our tongue — and not only WHAT we say, but HOW we say it (which is what generates most of our citizen complaints). Remember, the Miranda warnings can apply to you, too: whatever YOU say can and will be used against you in court…
For anyone interested in Tres Rios, here is the promo video…
About the Author
3 Responses to Taming the Tongue
Sheriff Ray Nash
Wow, What a message!!!!! How sweet the taste of fresh water, and how useless the salt to quench the thirst. As I watched I thought of your defense training and verbal judo. You are so right about the language that is used in law enforcement. What I wanted to say is how well your lessons and training in verbal judo and defense tactics served me on the job, and I was thinking that courses in professional law enforcement communication would be so effective because when it goes down your first response is to do what you are trained to do. Taming by training I guess is what I mean. I would love to see you develop a training course in this area. You are such an inspiration Sheriff… Thank you sir, and a very Merry Christmas to you and your family.
[…] but the disrespectful attitude of the officer came through in what he said, and, more importantly, HOW he said it. And that’ what sank him in court. To quote Dr. George Thompson of the Verbal Judo […]
[…] it was to work in an environment that was free of crude talk and sexual innuendo. Not only is taming the tongue good character and good policy, but it also insulates you from a potential sexual harassment […]