Personal Conversation Filters

I have often thought it a good thing my mind cannot be read? Sometimes an expletive runs across my mind and escapes through my lips. What happens when we forget social verbal filters? Adorable in children but inflammatory when adults say actually what they think without thinking. Hello Paula Dean!

I have known people who will cover up their verbal faux pas with expressing something about trying to speak the truth. I have heard excuses for verbal trash talk as just kidding. I have also heard verbal filters not exercised by people who appear not to know any better or just don’t care.

My 91-year-old Mother who has dementia and lives in a nursing home has lost her verbal filters. She will sometimes ask, 'How did you get so old’, or ‘so fat’, or ‘so stupid?’ Because of her condition she is usually forgiven but a slight hurt feeling may still linger.

I was walking downtown recently wearing my green raincoat. I passed a woman at a bus stop that complemented me on my coat. I turned and said thank-you that prompted her into a verbal tirade about the rain, the bus, and the condition of the world all peppered with many expletives. No filters at all!

Recently I saw a picture of myself at a party and my immediate reaction was I really need to work on camouflaging my facial expressions better! My words were in check but my eyes and expression were giving me away, and was I sighing?

As we go through this Holiday season, conversation filters are something to keep in mind, as are facial expressions. My Christmas present to all, No Eye Rolling, Sighing and FILTER IT!

Does your verbal filter ever fail you? Do you have a poker face?