It’s 2023 and we’re thinking, “How can I be a better me in 23?”
Perhaps we should give attention to some of the graces of life. Like tact.
The original meaning of tact, says J. Oswald Sanders, referred to the sense of touch (as in “tactile”), and came to mean skill in dealing with persons or sensitive situations. Tact is that intuitive perception—and especially a quick and fine perception—of what is fit and proper and right. It alludes to one’s ability to conduct delicate negotiations and personal matters in a way that recognizes mutual rights, and yet leads to a harmonious solution.
Consider these gems about tact:
Tact is the ability to step on a man’s toes without messing up the shine on his shoes.
-Harry S. Truman
Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy.
-Isaac Newton
Tact is the ability to make a person see lightning without letting him feel the bolt.
-Orlando Aloysius Battista
Tact is rubbing out another’s mistake instead of rubbing it in.
-Leo Buscaglia
Don’t flatter yourselves that friendship authorizes you to say disagreeable things to your intimates. On the contrary, the nearer you come into relation with a person, the more necessary do tact and courtesy become.
-Olive Wendell Holmes, Sr.
In the battle of existence, Talent is the punch; Tact is the clever footwork.
-Wilson Mizner
It is tact that is golden, not silence.
-Samuel Butler
Can you think of some biblical examples of tact? I’d welcome you to send them to me.