The Wisdom of Silence

There are unfortunate consequences of being intelligent and being extraverted, namely thinking out loud rather than doing one's thinking silently. To add to what appears to be a semi-regular feature on this blog, humorous definitions of serious terms, this entry's definition is about wisdom. Wisdom: n. measure of the distance between the brain and the mouth. Ant. folly. Syn. discretion, savvy. Perhaps a worthwhile future study of mine (so much to study, so little time) would be to look at the manifestations of wisdom. Certainly Solomon was not a fan of thinking out loud, or at least he did not wish his son (presumably Rehoboam) to do so. There are constant comments about even the wise appearing to be fools when they speak too much, a serious concern. I've always disliked the cliches about speech being silver and silence golden. There's something wrong with holding in one's speech and having to be concerned about what other people are going to think. I can certainly appreciate the results of the wisdom of silence, but it's not something I have any native skill or inclination in. That said, advice from others in this regard is always appreciated. If you've got something to say, feel free to tell me. I don't appreciate such commentary as much when it comes from third parties, however. There may be some who have the power to tame the tongue, but I am not one of those people yet. However, since I know that, I'm not too inclined to be hostile on those who point it out--gently--on occasion...