To be hanged, drawn, and quartered became a statutory penalty for men convicted of high treason in the Kingdom of England from 1352, and to those who were judged to be a traitor faced a horrific and gruesome demise.
Fortunately, this practice is no longer in place in its exact format, however, the metaphoric practice of disemboweling individuals is still prevalent in our society, and often in many organizations and institutions.
Why is it seen as appropriate that those who have power are permitted to talk in a manner that would not be befitting of those they are admonishing speaking back to them?
In all our communications, not only is the message itself vital but the delivery as well. If our delivery is emotional and chastising, it is likely the message is lost. Regardless of whether the message was right, the mere force of the delivery ultimately places the individual who is delivering the message as the wrongdoer.
A little more attention should be directed to our delivery if we want to ensure that the message is well understood. Hence, the phrase ‘kill them with kindness’ may be more appropriate, since a message delivered in this manner is likely to force us to pay attention to both the message and delivery and will warrant greater reflection.
