“Don’t say anything if you can’t say something nice”

Sherri said she learned this proverb from her mother when she was a child approximately of age six from her mother.  Her mother taught it to her after Sherri had insulted her younger sister.  Her mother said “don’t say anything if you can’t say something nice.”  Sherri said since her mother taught her this proverb she has tried to think of it every time she feels the need to say something mean about one of her colleagues.  Sherri recalls her mother teaching her many proverbs at a young age.  She says this helped her learn many life lessons as a child in a way that was easy for her to remember.  She explains that she thinks has played a significant in the way she acts everyday.

This proverb is very important to Sherri as it presented to her a valuable lesson.  Ever since her mother told her this proverb, she has been more equipped to determine what is right and what is wrong.  It helps her keep a positive outlook on life and helps her affect other people’s lives positively.

Sherri has since taught this proverb to her children when they were approximately the same age she was when she first heard it.  She, like her mother, taught her children many proverbs while they were growing up to insure they get a grasp of many of life’s lessons from an early age.

The context in which this proverb is used is when someone insults another person.  An outside source usually tells them that you shouldn’t make comments unless they are positive and uplifting.

I think the interpretation of this proverb Sherri gave me was correct.  I do not think there is any other way to interpret this saying than that you shouldn’t say anything to somebody unless it is positive.