One of my friends is often the butt of jokes for his quiet nature. He speaks very little and largely enjoys his own company.
But what’s so bad about this? A person who speaks the least is often the one who thinks the most. Solutions to some of the most cumbersome problems come when we activate the frontal cortex (cognitive area of the brain) and not the Broca’s area (speech area of the brain). For this very reason, many writers including Victor Hugo, known for his intense writing marathons that sometimes lasted weeks at a time, would lock himself in a small room on the top floor of his house, with a score of candles and a pile of paper.
Speaking less paves the way to think clearly and listen to others’ perspectives. This is possibly the reason why we have been gifted two ears and a one mouth.
Our words are a reflection of our personalities. In the end, it’s not the number of words that matter, but the gravity they hold. The introduction to a research paper on the structure of DNA by Nobel Prize winners Watson and Crick was barely two sentences long, compared to conventional two-page-long introductions!
Words take up energy; the more we speak, the less energy we have for other work. True wisdom lies in the journey of detaching from chaotic gossip and engaging with our deeper self. Inner calmness and silence activates our parasympathetic nervous system which is linked to relaxation. On the contrary, mayhem and chaos activate the sympathetic nervous system, triggering a stress response.
Silence too can convey meaning. Nelson Mandela, in his speech after years of imprisonment, paused for a long moment, a powerful gesture in front of his people.
Quietening the cacophony of inner thoughts is one of the core principles of meditation. Time spent being silent is the time we invest for ourselves, for our mental upliftment and for embracing the beauty of minuscule things, which we often ignore in our busy life. Let’s speak less and shock the world with our deeds.
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