“Wow, look at that blue jay!” my happy-go-lucky 23 year-old self exclaimed upon observing a cool-looking bird.

Expecting my enthusiasm to be met with similar glee, I was instead met with an icy stare from my companion, who was a self-proclaimed “Birder,” that could have slayed an entire militia of birdwatching amateurs.

“Blue jays are obviously endemic to other regions,” the Fuhrer of Flying Fowls disgustedly sighed. “That is clearly a Northwest Azure-Crested You’re-An Embarrassment-For-Thinking-It’s-a-Blue Jay bird.”

After that, I was nervous to even point out a pinecone or a squirrel, let alone have the audacity to further reveal my painful ignorance of avian nomenclature. What a loser.

But I think there’s a lesson that extends beyond the seriousness of appropriately classifying feathered friends. If people need correction, you can gently steer them in the right direction with tact and kindness. Or, you can destroy them with your “superior understanding” and render yourself unapproachable…which will prevent you from actually being of further help in the future.

2 Timothy 2:24-25