"Do not cast pearls before swine"
Last weekend, I gave advice to my 15 year old cousin-in-law who lacks purpose of meaning & is on the edge of nihilism.
We watched a few of Jordan Peterson's videos together. One in particular seemed to strike a chord.
Peterson referenced the above OT Biblical verse "Do not cast pearls before swine".
He breaks it down: "If people are not listening to you, stop talking to them. If you stop talking to them & watch them instead, they will tell you what they are up to.
So if you have things to say, say them but find people who will listen. The ones who aren't listening, pull back.
You are devaluing what you have to say by offering it to an audience that does nothing but reject it. It's a good guideline to life in general."
I cannot stress enough how important this is especially to teenagers, those who lack encouragement & whose parents are too busy to listen to them, to REALLY listen to them. These are kids who are more likely to turn to addiction, impulsive behaviour or fall into depression. We cannot afford this anymore.
Everyone matters.