Thought and speech

Apropos of nothing I find myself wrestling with freedom of speech this week.

In America, at least, we have a level of protection around what we say. It’s not unlimited, but it’s substantial.

As a kid I said a lot of stupid things. I’m glad they weren’t recorded, and I’m also glad I was mostly allowed to explore speech and what it meant to me. I’ve now grown up and either realized the hurtful meaning around some of my words or had a change of heart.

Either way I’ve modified what I say as I’ve grown. Not out of some sense of big brother watching out and ready to drop the hammer. Rather, I’ve changed my words because to do anything less would be hurtful to people I care for or even people I’ll never meet.

So today I’m thinking less about regulation of speech, or where companies do and should fit in their allowance of it. Rather I’m thinking of my own words and their intent.

Words matter, meaning matters. I want the choice to say just about anything. However, I’ve found there are a dozen ways to say a thing, and it takes grace and care to choose the ones that can be most helpful.

When I thought the world was smaller, and there was a boogie man around every corner ready to take me out for my words—well frankly I felt I had the right to say just about anything. Now I don’t think the boogie man exists, and realize much of that came from seeing the world in a different way.

That thing I swore I had the right to say. Well, it really came from a small world mindset. It’s  not helpful. I’d rather live in a world where we keep pushing and growing and figure out new ways to speak.

With that said, I would never want the younger version of me to be shut down, turned off, ostracized. I cared for people as much then as I do now, I wanted the world to be a better place. But I was also a bit of an idiot.

Today I would come alongside my younger self, with love and sincerity, and not a little candor, and educate toward a better way. Not through force or coercion, but through care.

In that way I support my idiotic younger self’s right to his words, but also wish him on a different path.