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How to Practice the Art of Tact
Tact. Consideration. Diplomacy. Finesse. Savoir-faire. Call it whatever you want, but according to Random House, tact is “a keen sense of what to say or do to avoid giving offense.” It’s used by empathetic folks who are aware of their audience’s feelings. A tactful person doesn’t want to ostracize or insult anyone, especially when they know the intended recipients may not like the message or action.
Tact seems to be woefully underrated in today’s world — the exception instead of the rule. If more people took a few seconds to choose the right words in their encounters, whether electronic or face-to-face, more feelings would be spared. They’d also have better chances of explaining their thoughts in case their original comments/actions were still misunderstood. Fights might be avoided, marriages might remain unbroken, and certain radio personalities might still have jobs.
Tact is usually helpful, but not always
Some of us might have been taught to add tact to our arsenal of defenses during school. This kind of “socialization trial-by-fire” is when we learned to deal with a menagerie of personalities all at once.
