Some take pride in that quality of being "frightfully frank" and hate those who do not say out things as openly.
Yet, there are times when one has to discriminate. Sometimes things spoken with the best of intentions totally spoil the case, if said when silence would serve the purpose for the time being.
A person sensitive and of quick temperament would probably misunderstand words spoken with the best of intentions, if said when he is not in a mood to listen. Such a person might fly into a rage, become overexcited and be prejudiced against the best of friends or well-wishers. He thereby loses the benefit of the advice and words of wisdom that would have done him good if said in quieter moments when he would have understood their import and even appreciated it. So it is not always the words and things however frankly said that matter, but the right time and the way they are put.
Silence, even though misunderstood for diplomacy or hypocrisy, would serve the purpose better ultimately than the best of the glorifying quality of being frightfully frank. Sometimes the best of qualities which mankind glorifies are the worst of defects, if not used discriminately at the proper moment.
Baba returned to Nasik on Saturday, 13 March 1937. Malcolm had met a Catholic priest at a religious conference in Nasik and he urged the priest to meet Baba, but he declined. When Malcolm told Baba, he also seemed uninterested. However, due to Malcolm's persuasion a meeting was arranged.
When they met, Baba commented to him, "All the mullahjis [Muslim priests] are good; the Pope is good; the Aga Khan is good; the pandits [Hindu scholars] are good. But only the Shankaracharya [head Hindu priest] can speak for hours on end!"
The priest, hearing Baba's words, proudly refuted what had transpired at the conference, "It was not the Shankaracharya, but I who spoke during the whole conference. The Shankaracharya could not argue convincingly at all. He could not say a word to me and I rebuked him severely."
"Yes," replied Baba, "these mullahjis, and the Shankaracharya, all need to be warned. They deserve lecturing and need to be taken to task."
"You just said they are good and now you say they need to be lectured?" the priest said. "I don't follow what you mean."
Explaining, Baba spelled out, "The Shankaracharya and high priests have big heads — they are intellectuals — but they have small hearts. You, however, have a good heart."