Word of the day: Discreet

2 entries found for discreet.
dis·creet (d-skrt)adj.
Marked by, exercising, or showing prudence and wise self-restraint in speech and behavior; circumspect.
Free from ostentation or pretension; modest.

For some reason, over the past week, this word has popped up in my conversations with friends and family. The instances were ranging but what it seems to boil down to is that Americans tend not to be discreet by nature. We're taught to stand up for ourselves and it is all about getting what we want but there is little consideration for how it relates to others or how we might be perceived for it. I have to wonder if the ability to be discreet is a maturity skill that is learned. You have to have patience and restraint but it pays off. Some examples of being discreet: 1) your boss is an idiot and your staff knows it - it may be wise to be discreet regarding how you convey the messages from your boss to your staff. 2) you just had a wonderful sleep over with a coworker and on Monday morning, want to find out 'what that was about'. The whole point of being in a relationship is to enjoy time together not figure out what it means. 3) A friend has been dating someone and within a month has met the entire - I mean ENTIRE family. It's time to show some restraint and let the relationship ride for a while longer.

I could go on and on about talking about the price you've paid for things, labels and brands but these are just a few of the weird situations that have popped up recently. Maybe it is that I've been in New England for almost two years and this Protestant quality is starting to come out.