If I wanted to ignore you, I’d leave the room – Dan Lyons
So much noise…so many voices…so much being said…and yet, it seems like maybe nothing is being said. We live in a very loud world. Commercials are often louder than the programs themselves. Music and radio (or Pandora) is being played in every store and restaurant. Social media is blaring messages (ok…maybe not out loud). In the midst of all of that, people are competing for attention at home and in classrooms and meetings. But maybe…before we can be heard, we have to stop talking.
In The Power of Keeping Your Mouth Shut in An Endlessly Noisy World, Dan Lyons shares about the causes, effects, and cures to the endless talking in our world. In the opening pages, readers are confronted with a talkaholic scale. I suspect that many of us will be surprised at how high we score and the impact that this overcommunication has on our relationships and careers. The author goes on to describe the different types of overtalkers and the impact that overtalking can have on our lives. Readers will be encouraged at the tips throughout the book to reduce overtalking at home, work, and in relationships.
Additionally, readers will be encouraged to reduce the noise…the noise of media, outside influences, and social media. These voices (written and spoken) have an impact. For so many, there is very little time left for quiet reflection. If we take time to look at the lives and practices of the most successful people, we will find some powerful similarities. These individuals limit the impact of TV, the internet, and social media. These individuals do not start their day with these influences. On the contrary, they start the day with quiet reflection and meditation. The good news is that we can all start to change…today.
No man has ever listened himself out of a job – Calvin Coolidge