Everyone talks, but does it matter?
One of the biggest things I notice nowadays, is the value of silence, and equally: the value of conversation. Everyone is so used to filling silence with sound, that we forget how important silence is. Think about it: when was the last time you were able to sit surrounded by others, and no one had to speak to fill the “awkward” silence.
I imagine you’ll be hard pressed to do so.
Furthermore, when was the last time that you were able to truly appreciate conversation, because you knew the person saying it valued the words they were letting go. We’ve grown so accustomed to “filler talk” that we almost drown out the words with our thoughts.
I can’t overstate the necessity to speak important words. My father used to say: “Speak half as much as you listen.” Which I’m sure he heard somewhere else; even still, those words held strong to me throughout my teenage years, and certainly my adult life. When I’m around my peers, I try to let others speak first, and interject my piece when I have something to say. Before I speak, though, I make sure that my words will hold some weight of their own — if they contribute nothing to the conversation except filling a void, I reserve it as a thought for myself.
I think that we, as a civilization, could grow so much if we spent more time in quiet countenance than in loud exchange.
Take time to place value in your words, and estimate if others will value your words the same. If they will, speak your mind. If not, reserve your thoughts.
Maybe I’m just rambling at this point.
Photo by Samuel Zeller on Unsplash
T.G. Neal 