Why do people shout?

One day, a teacher was sitting in the school hall, surrounded by his students during a break.

Suddenly, he heard a group of friends nearby arguing loudly, shouting at each other in anger and frustration. The teacher smiled and turned to his students.

“Why do people shout when they’re angry?” he asked. The students thought for a moment.

One of them replied, “Because we lose our patience, sir. That’s why we shout.” The teacher nodded and then asked,

“But why do you shout even when the other person is standing right next to you? You could just speak in a normal tone, couldn’t you?” The students gave different answers, but none of them really seemed convincing.

Then the teacher said:“ When two people are angry at each other, a distance grows between their hearts. The angrier they become, the greater that distance becomes.

And to bridge that distance, they need to shout louder and louder to be heard.” The class fell silent. 

The teacher continued: “But what happens when two people love and respect each other?” “They speak softly,” one student answered.“ Exactly!” said the teacher. “When people care about each other, there is no distance between their hearts. They don’t need to shout even a whisper is enough. And when their bond grows even stronger? Sometimes they don’t even need words at all just a look or a smile is enough.” 

He looked around at the students and said: “So remember this: when you argue, make sure your hearts don’t drift too far apart. Don’t say things you’ll regret later. Because if the distance becomes too great, you may never find your way back to each other.” The students nodded, deeply impressed by the teacher’s wise words.

Food for thought
Next time you feel like shouting, stop and ask yourself: how far away is my heart from theirs and do I really want it to drift even further?