about loud voices.

Ever notice that in some conversations, the loudest voices, not the wisest voices, seem to win? The Internet can be that way sometimes. Sometimes we pass on broken ideas as if they are the only way something should, could or would be done. Loud-voice logic is not always the most compelling, though it may be the most passed on.

When too much information is coming my way, I fall victim to this “loud-voice listening.” When I’m unsure and looking for answers, I find myself following loud voices, because they seem so certain themselves.

When I’m tied for time, I take the first answer that works. That first answer is usually the loudest voice nearby. Unfortunately the first answer is rarely the best answer for me. Best answers happen when I follow my own voice — not that I get it right every time.

Loud voices are wrong just as often as I’ve ever been.

It’s work sorting through voices, especially the loud ones, to figure out my own thoughts. It takes time to decide what’s worth action and what’s not. It’s an effort to see behind the words to the possible missing or broken thoughts. Time and energy aren’t resources that come in unlimited supply.

So I find the voices I trust and listen to them.

Then I wonder . . .
When I sound certain without even knowing I do, am I just a loud voice to someone else?

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