3 C’s and 1 S

3 C’s and 1 S: "

When I arrived in Japan as a missionary, my trainer was Elder Wynder. The most important thing he taught me was the “Three C’s”. Maybe the rest of you learned these as kids (it seems like the kind of thing you’d hear in Primary), but I’d never heard them before.

• Don’t Complain


• Don’t Compare


• Don’t Criticize

I made them my personal creed as a missionary, though I haven’t always lived up to them. They’ve covered a lot of ground for me. Of course, they’re not 100% all-the-time commandments. Sometimes there are problems that really need to be complained about in order to fix them. Sometimes comparison helps us discover what we can be. And criticism…well, maybe there’s never a good reason to criticize.

My own contribution to the list is my “One S”:

• Avoid Sarcasm

Sarcasm is the unblockable attack. When someone hurts you with sarcasm, getting defensive just makes you look wimpy and hypersensitive (and they can always respond with, “Hey, it was just a joke. Lighten up.”)

Were you taught the “Three C’s” growing up? And what would you add to (or remove from) the list?

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