24 Hour Rule

Ever made a snap decision? Sure, we all have, and we’ve all regretted it too. We are prone to react quickly to an agitating situation or an aggravating comment. But the problem is magnified today. We have mediums for communicating our displeasure that can make our reactions lifelong regrets. Someone offends us and we can instantly respond with a tweet, post, text, or even a photo. Once our knee jerk reaction hits cyber-space, it’s too late to take it back. President Eisenhower had a 24 hour rule. When he received a correspondence that upset him, he would respond with a letter. But before he mailed it, he would put it in his desk and hold off sending it for 24 hours. At the conclusion of his Presidency, his desk was full of unsent letters. Everyone would be well served if they had their own 24 hour social media rule.