Proverbs 25.8
“What your eyes have seen do not hastily bring into court, for what will you do in the end, when your neighbor puts you to shame?”
This is a warning against making a hasty accusation of some kind of wrongdoing. The proverb makes it sound like a legal accusation, but the principle applies to any kind of allegation or assertion, including reckless gossip.
“What your eyes have seen” refers to one’s initial perception of a person or situation. And while “perception is reality” is a popular term, the reality is that sometimes perception is deception. Our eyes can deceive us, so we must exercise wisdom and reflect on a situation before alleging something about someone.
Sometimes, when the whole truth comes out, the accusation turns out to be false, and the accuser is “put to shame.”
So don’t be hasty in making an accusation. Press pause, think, and gain clarity about the situation. Here are four questions to ask yourself before you gain greater clarity:
- What do I not see that I need to see?
- What do I see but am discounting?
- What am I pretending not to see?
- How do others see the situation in a way that I don’t?
Don’t believe everything you think. Remember, sometimes perception is deception.
