The ones who know don’t talk and the ones who talk don’t know.
In general, Loquacity (rambling talk) opens the doors of the soul, and the devout warmth of the heart at once escapes. Empty talk does the same, but even more so… Empty talk is the door to criticism and slander, the spreader of false rumors and opinions, the sower of discord and strife. It stifles the taste for mental work and almost always serves as a cover for absence of sound knowledge…
Benjamin Franklin puts it another way: “Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools talk because they have to say something.”
I have always considered myself to be a thoughtful person; I pray I continue to be so. As a child I was extremely shy and quiet. I’ve since grown to be less bashful, but for the most part, I feel it is pointless to speak in a knowing way about matters which I know little about. How often to be we pretend to know about those things which we talk about? Sometimes when I hear people on TV, or other places, ramble on and on about so many different topics, it becomes evident to me that this empty talk really is just a cover for “absence of sound knowledge.” It’s no wonder younger generations are marching more and more toward cynicism.
Granted, you don’t need to be an expert in something in order to speak intelligently about it. However, I made a decission long ago that I would no longer pretend to understand things which I really do not understand. I told myself I would ask questions, even if those questions seemed simplistic or the answers obvious. Many times, I have found that the answers to the simple questions aren’t obvious to anyone, and actually do prevent us from having sound understandings.
Drawing by Jose Lerma
Title quote: Aaron Weis/mewithoutYou, Goodbye I!
That's a beautiful drawing.What's often harder than being silent, is to try to speak about something when you do actually know something. Most people want to keep to empty talk, not going deeper than that. Too often, the experience of real conversation is off putting to people. I think this is from the thought at the beginning of that quote, rambling talk opens up one's soul. People don't want to truly authentic or genuine revealing themselves; real conversation requires real people. It is easier to b.s. about something you don't know about than to speak about that which comes from your soul.
Jonathan, I totally agree. I am so not good at "small talk!" But you're right, meaningful conversation involves opening yourself up and people don't want to do that. Maybe that's why Theophan is called the "Recluse," he just got sick of all that nonsense!! LOL!