Shh...

We humans are social creatures, and probably our greatest God-given ability is that of vocalized communication. Other animals can say a lot with barks and whines, but we have the physical makeup both in the brain and the throat area (as I call it, having studied film and not anatomy) to be more eloquent and efficacious in our vocalized communication than any of them. Clearly, though, ability does not necessarily come with wisdom as a package deal.

Talking makes for a lot of problems. I'd say that the vast majority are the product of saying either too much or just the wrong thing. A slender minority of bad situations created by talking are the result of not saying anything. I'd suggest that people could help themselves out immensely in all situations by saying as little as they can. This is why I have opted out of political conversation.

I guess the problem is silence. It's terrifying. As I consider myself something of a performer, I can say that I have the irrational feeling while on stage that I have to keep talking or it's all over. It's like that thing in a cartoon where someone runs off a cliff, but stays aloft as long as they don't look down. That's very hard to suppress. Being able to do so, though, tends to yield great rewards. You can't see it when you're in the moment, but being quiet can have Earth-shaking impact. Whether acting in some show or just being oneself in real life, being quiet pays off.

Apart from what you can get by playing up your physical communication in favor of the verbal, there are other benefits. I always try to adhere to the wisdom of an old saying: "It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt". I think that speaks for itself, but I'll elaborate. Sometimes I know what I'm talking about, and I'm not shy about proving it. Other times, I don't know what I'm talking about, and I go ahead anyway. The times when I'm able to stop myself from doing the latter and  instead keep my mouth shut are the times when I'm the most proud of myself.

As that would suggest, I think that I fall somewhat into both camps. For me, it's another one of those "wisdom of Ben Franklin" things where I know the right thing but haven't got the fortitude to actually stick to it. I'm quiet when I'm unsure of myself and those around me. I'm quite outspoken when I feel self-assured and get the idea that those around me have granted me license to speak up. Sometimes I'm badly mistaken. In any case, alcohol tends to foul things up. It's always best to favor silence when drinking.

Let's just do one thing. Let's be quiet for a while. It's not a slight against anyone. When you're close to someone, it means that you don't always have to talk, because you're comfortable with them. You can just sit there, thinking and doing your own thing, then looking up and smile at them. It's really very pleasant, so let's have some of that. This isn't one of those nonsense holidays that people go around trumpeting as though it's a real thing like Arbor Day or Easter. Let's just agree that we're going to choose our words carefully for a little while, and just not saying anything unless there's some exceptionally good reason.