Silence

Sometimes I talk too much. Generally, we all value a person who can keep a conversation running. It is a skill to be sure. Not everyone can keep talking with little input from the listener. Of course, sometimes the listener is more inclined to be the speaker and vice versa. Although speech can sometimes be improved, I wouldn’t instruct someone to micromanage their own side of a conversation. I think the end effect of that would only cause issues with the flow of spoken communication. This of course doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be aware of what’s coming out of our mouths. I for one can find myself speaking words of nothing. Speech just for the sake of noise is hardly useful. I think in the quest to relieve social tension we can forget the value of a little silence. We all have valuable experiences, memories, and ideas to share. Why though, do I feel the need to pour them all out in one instant? Too much of a good thing Isn’t better. Sometimes being quiet just hits the spot. I’m not saying to only be quiet when others are speaking, while I often struggle with that too. Instead, once a topic has reached its climax and has started to descend into a mindless bog, just shut up. It can be a bit strange to let quiet fill in the gaps in conversation; this shouldn’t discourage you from giving it a shot though. Instead of letting unuseful banter be your conversation’s default, let it be quiet.