T.H.I.N.K. Before You Speak: Case Studies in Mindful Speech
published 4/5/15; updated 1/8/22
Image by Robin Higgins from Pixabay
by Catharine Hannay, founder of MindfulTeachers.org
For each of the following situations, decide whether the person followed these guidelines for mindful speech:
T: Am I sure that this is True?
H: Is it Helpful for me to say this?
I: Should I say it, or someone else?
N: Is Now a good time to say this?
K: Is it Kind for me to say this?
Mark √ for yes, X for no, or ? if you’re not sure. There could be more than one 'correct' answer. The purpose of this activity isn't to get a particular score but to reflect on the situations and whether you've witnessed or experienced something similar in your own life.
1. Cheryl got a really unflattering haircut. I told her, “Your hair looks great!”
Did I T.H.I.N.K. before I spoke?
____T____H____I____N____K
2. As soon as Cheryl left the room, I said to my friends, “Cheryl’s hair looks terrible, doesn’t it?"
Did I T.H.I.N.K. before I spoke?
____T____H____I____N____K
3. My brother did something that made me very angry. I told him, "It's really hard for me to forgive you. I need some time alone before we talk about this."
Did I T.H.I.N.K. before I spoke?
____T____H____I____N____K
4. I suspect my sister might be pregnant. Without asking her, I mention my suspicions to our parents.
Did I T.H.I.N.K. before I spoke?
____T____H____I____N____K
5. I think my sister might be pregnant. I ask her if it’s true, and if there’s any way I can help her.
Did I T.H.I.N.K. before I spoke?
____T____H____I____N____K
6. My name is Kanye. I was upset when Taylor won an award because I thought my friend Beyoncé should have won. I interrupted Taylor’s speech and told everyone Beyoncé’s video was better.
Did I T.H.I.N.K. before I spoke?
____T____H____I____N____K
7. My name is Beyoncé. When I won an award later that night, I invited Taylor back onstage to finish her speech.
Did I T.H.I.N.K. before I spoke?
____T____H____I____N____K
8. Kanye asked me, “Do you think I’m a jerk?” I told him “Yeah, but I like your music.”
Did I T.H.I.N.K. before I spoke?
____T____H____I____N____K
9. My name is Justin Bieber. After I visited Anne Frank’s house, I wrote this in the guestbook:
"Truly inspiring to be able to come here. Anne was a great girl. Hopefully she would have been a belieber." (Fans of Justin Bieber's music call themselves "beliebers.")
Did I T.H.I.N.K. before I spoke?
____T____H____I____N____K
10. After Justin Bieber got a lot of criticism for his comment, I posted this at the Anne Frank Facebook page:
"Despite everything, I believe people are really good at heart."
I think before everyone goes bashing Justin Bieber we should take a moment to think about these words and why Anne said them.
(This is a real comment that was posted at the site.)
Did I T.H.I.N.K. before I spoke?
____T____H____I____N____K
Questions for Further Reflection and Discussion
(Some of these questions are quite personal. Teachers, please respect students' wishes about how much they choose to share with the group.)
In the above situations, how could “I” have chosen to respond differently, and what impact would that have had on other people?
Did any of the situations remind you of something from your own life? What happened, and did you and the other people involved T.H.I.N.K. before you spoke?
Have you ever said something that was true but unkind or kind but untrue?
Is it possible to say something kind but unhelpful?
Update 12/11/19: Here's the link to a printable version of THINK Before You Speak (combining THINK 1 and THINK2).
Important Note About Downloads: These are printable worksheets, not fill-in-able pdfs. If you'd like to have your students fill them in and send them to you, the worksheets need to be downloaded as 'Format: Open Office XML.'
About the Author
Catharine Hannay, M.A., is the founder of MindfulTeachers.org and the author of Being You: A Girl’s Guide to Mindfulness, a workbook for teen girls on mindfulness, compassion, and self-acceptance. She was a teacher for twenty years, including a dozen years in the Intensive English Program at Georgetown University, and now works as a writer and editor specializing in mindfulness, effective communication, and mental health. CatharineHannay.com
Related Posts
There are many more resources for practicing and teaching mindful communication here at MindfulTeachers.org, including the following posts: