“Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.”

This witty piece of advice explores the gap between bold intentions expressed in a state of uninhibited confidence and the reality of sober execution. Hemingway suggests that the best way to develop discretion and integrity is to force oneself to follow through on every 'loud' promise made. In leadership and professional networking, this is a lesson in the power of 'under-promising and over-delivering' to build lasting trust. People relate to this today because it addresses the modern challenge of maintaining a consistent and reliable reputation in a fast-paced social world. Hemingway, who was known for his legendary charisma and his equally legendary discipline, lived this tension every day. Cultivating the discipline to only speak what we are willing to do builds an unbreakable foundation of character.