Pr. 25:15b [The Message]

Gentle speech breaks down rigid defenses.

A soft tongue can break the bone (the hardness in attitude of the listener).

My neighbor was a feisty fellow. Mention politics or religion and he was in your face. He passed recently, and I really miss him. Yes, we had our share of tense discussions in the past, but I was respectful and even-toned to him. We started getting along great. Thankfully, my verbal gentleness and respect so to speak “broke the hard bone” of his attitude towards me.

The virtuous woman has the “law of kindness” in her tongue. [Pr. 31:26b]