Why Is It That It's Always The Quiet People Who Have The Most Important Things To Say?

I have lived on this earth for thirty years, and there is something that I have noticed over the course of my life. Some of you will agree with this and some will not, but it is something that I have found to be true throughout my life.

It is always the quiet people that have the most important and profound things to say. It is almost never, in my experience, it never is, the person that is always talking that says anything of substance.

Does anyone know the reason for this? Is it because a quiet person is more reflective on things? Is it because they tend to be more studious, and in my experience, more intelligent than those who suffer from diarrhea of the mouth?

For example, I knew a guy who almost never talked to anyone and if he did say anything it was just to say "hello." Everyone thought the guy was creepy because he would sit by himself in the classroom and not even look at anyone really.

I watched him for several weeks, and then one day I asked, "Hey,man, why don't you talk?" He replied, "I speak when spoken to."

Anyway, he and I developed a friendship and I quickly found out that he was about the only one that I encountered at the college that I could actually carry on a meaningful conversation with. He knew politics, science, philosophy, religion, et cetera. He was very intelligent.

It dawned on me that maybe he didn't talk because he didn't know what to talk to anyone about. I mean, let's face it, most things that people find interesting isn't involving politics or philosophy. Most people would rather waste countless hours discussing new songs, video games or what some celebrity is up to, than to discuss issues that have meaning and bite to them.

He is not the only one that I have encountered like this. I suspect that in general, silence is correlated with intelligence by most. However, as I stated, I am sure that some may disagree.

Anyone have any thoughts? Ideas?

Great observation my friend.

I am one of those "quiet" people sometimes too!

And you're absolutely right, the noisy people rarely say anything of substance.

When I was younger I used to try to date the quiet girl in the group. Somehow knew that inside that person was a whole new world bigger than anything being presented by the attention seekers.

Have you ever considered this......it is not possible to talk AND really think of other different stuff at the same time? Try it!

I suppose it's the difference between: talk, talk, talk, talk, talk.....just words, nothing interesting, or : listen, think, listen, think, listen, think, TALK.......revalation, insight, sense etc.

Input v output, quality v quantity.

Also, I think a need for attention can make some people "go on and on" and some "quiet" people don't need the focus from other peoples energy so much. Hence the phrase "quietly confident".

I like the quiet people. They always have the most to say!

Cheers

I'm the same way. I find it difficult to dumb down my social interactions, so I have few social interactions. The Bread and Circuses provided by modern western society don't really interest me. Things that do interest me are often too obscure for most people or their subject knowledge is so obviously in error that there is really no common ground for a true discussion. I mean, how do you discuss world politics with someone who thinks that Venezuela is in the Middle East?

You might also consider that we have two ears and one mouth. Some believe that we should use them in that proportion. People that aren't talking are often listening. You can learn much more by listening than by talking, right?

It can be a lonely way to be though...

Nerbot and Ambient, both of you are very correct. I have heard all my life that a "closed mouth is a wise mind." I learned rather early in life that you can attain much by listening. It seems to be a rather lost art in this day and age.

Everyone seems to blabber and not really say anything. Someone who does say things of substance are shunned pretty quickly. I have actually had people tell me that I make their head hurt!! When I ask why, they reply, "You talk about too many serious topics." I am left dazed and confused after that.

from speaker of truth:
Everyone seems to blabber and not really say anything. Someone who does say things of substance are shunned pretty quickly. I have actually had people tell me that I make their head hurt!! When I ask why, they reply, "You talk about too many serious topics." I am left dazed and confused after that.

I know exactly what you mean. There was a stage in my life when I was going "down the pub" most nights of the week, but something was wrong. All people wanted to talk about was of no real interest to me. You know...who's shagging who, how much they were earning, what happened in the soap operas etc. I tried to be patient and forced a laugh with the "crowd", but as soon as I wanted to talk about something REALLY interesting, I get the pi*# taken out of me! Talk about shallow, I felt pity for those individuals. It also made me angry.

A person who wishes to talk, will never stop to ask ... "why"? ...It surrenders the attention from themselves. Some people can't live without constant attention. And those who cannot think of anything "outside the box" are just small minded, maybe scared of themselves. Sad, very sad. :shk:

Needless to say, I gave up that shallow existance very naturally and found other things to do, things that had substance and meaning.

I suppose that's when I began to find out who my real friends were. People I could spend the whole evening with, talking about life, the universe and everything.

Bit like here really.

I like deep. I like obscure. I like things that push my mental capacities to their limit, and beyond. I get some strange looks too! This takes thought and individuality, that is where the quiet times are fruitfull. I will learn nothing new if I graze with the herd and bleat the same tune.

Some of the best conversations I've ever had have been with close friends, and hardly a word was spoken.

The ability to read body language and the environment, to see behind the eyes and into the soul, and to possess a sharp sixth sense are the silent tools of the quiet intellectual.

There is always more going on in the mind of a quiet person then a noisy one. Whether they seem "aloof", "cool", "distant", or just "laid-back", the cogs are always "whirring".

Peace.

Originally posted by nerbot

I know exactly what you mean. There was a stage in my life when I was going "down the pub" most nights of the week, but something was wrong. All people wanted to talk about was of no real interest to me. You know...who's shagging who, how much they were earning, what happened in the soap operas etc. I tried to be patient and forced a laugh with the "crowd", but as soon as I wanted to talk about something REALLY interesting, I get the pi*# taken out of me! Talk about shallow, I felt pity for those individuals. It also made me angry.



There is always more going on in the mind of a quiet person then a noisy one. Whether they seem "aloof", "cool", "distant", or just "laid-back", the cogs are always "whirring".

Peace.

Yeah, I did the club scene for a while. Obviously, if you go to a club, you are supposed to be going there to mingle and enjoy yourself. I always seemed out of my element in a club. I would get my drink and I would either sit at the bar and stare at myself in the mirror behind the bar, or I would find the table in the furthest corner and sit and watch everyone else. I figured out pretty quickly that the club scene wasn't for me.

As far as appearing to be "aloof" or distant," I guess I should have a degree in one of those. Anyway, you are right, the wheels are always churning in the mind of the quiet ones.

[edit on 12-6-2007 by SpeakerofTruth]

Hey Speakerof, I think you are accurate in assessing why those who talk little have important things to say. They are reflective. Of course their are exceptions to every rule. I have met people who didn't say much and when I got to know them, they still didn't have much to say of substance, but for those who do keep their mouths shut and ears open, I am oft reminded of this poem which my step dad hung on our refrigerator when I was a boy:



A wise old owl sat in an oak.
The more he saw, the less he spoke.
The less he spoke, the more he heard.
Why can't we all be like that wise old bird?



[edit on 13-6-2007 by ben91069]

hmmm: The economics of verbal density.

It's kind of like the 80/20 rule. (20% of the products account for 80% of the sales.)

80% of the people talking, only account for 20% of useful things being said!

Another explanation for this phenomenon could be that the "deep" people, aware that they are different that the regular joes, feel awkward and shy in company and don't want to make the first conversational move.

I've always been one of the quiet ones. I am always the guy who sits and takes it in. I rarely if ever start a conversation. I would hardly call myself profound though.

Originally posted by MajorMalfunction
Another explanation for this phenomenon could be that the "deep" people, aware that they are different that the regular joes, feel awkward and shy in company and don't want to make the first conversational move.

I suspect that is right. Most people who are in the "know" about things, do feel much different than the masses.

[edit on 13-6-2007 by SpeakerofTruth]

Is this a reason, perhaps, that the awkward in company types are more comfortable expounding here on the 'net?

Is ATS full of people like us who don't feel comfortable amongst the masses?

We sure seem to do a lot of "talking" here.

Major, I suppose that many probably post on discussion boards, yes. For whatever reason, they just feel more at ease releasing their thoughts over the net than in person. In a way it is unfortunate, really, because if the masses don't know what some others know, then nothing will ever be done. Like the old saying goes, "What good is knowledge if you only share it with yourself?"

True. But if people are not ready for knowledge, they won't assimilate it.

At least the wisdom of the profound (and some anti-wisdom from the lunatic fringe) is on the internet. People can seek it out when they're ready.

Somehow, that idea scares me. I better shut up now. LOL

Originally posted by MajorMalfunction
True. But if people are not ready for knowledge, they won't assimilate it.

At least the wisdom of the profound (and some anti-wisdom from the lunatic fringe) is on the internet. People can seek it out when they're ready.

Problem is, what is the "lunatic fringe?" Is the "lunatic" fringe really a bunch of lunatics,or are they people who know something others don't?

You see, that is the conundrum that one falls into.

[edit on 13-6-2007 by SpeakerofTruth]

Well, that CAN be difficult to ascertain in some cases, but I think the "sun is a cube" people with the giant amoeba, count as part of the fringe.

Originally posted by MajorMalfunction
Well, that CAN be difficult to ascertain in some cases, but I think the "sun is a cube" people with the giant amoeba, count as part of the fringe.

Well, while that is indeed a bizarre theory, we have no real way of knowing whether or not the sun is a sphere, cube, triangle, or what. We have no way of getting close enough to the sun to really measure such a thing. Of course, just by looking at it, it appears spherical in nature.

I would say that those people are certainly on the fringe. Lunatics? I don't know.

Originally posted by SpeakerofTruth

For example, I knew a guy who almost never talked to anyone and if he did say anything it was just to say "hello." Everyone thought the guy was creepy because he would sit by himself in the classroom and not even look at anyone really.

I watched him for several weeks, and then one day I asked, "Hey,man, why don't you talk?" He replied, "I speak when spoken to."

Anyway, he and I developed a friendship and I quickly found out that he was about the only one that I encountered at the college that I could actually carry on a meaningful conversation with. He knew politics, science, philosophy, religion, et cetera. He was very intelligent.

It dawned on me that maybe he didn't talk because he didn't know what to talk to anyone about. I mean, let's face it, most things that people find interesting isn't involving politics or philosophy. Most people would rather waste countless hours discussing new songs, video games or what some celebrity is up to, than to discuss issues that have meaning and bite to them.

He is not the only one that I have encountered like this. I suspect that in general, silence is correlated with intelligence by most. However, as I stated, I am sure that some may disagree.

Anyone have any thoughts? Ideas?

thats my take on my life.
I like to be quiet.
People are not interested in talking about these issuses by and large let alone deeper thoughts.
I see very little being said thats worth listening too
lots of people think they know everything
ready to give out their knowledge to the masses

Originally posted by junglelord

I see very little being said thats worth listening too
lots of people think they know everything

Like a saying of mine goes, "Most people think they know everything when in truth, they know little."

Originally posted by MajorMalfunction
Another explanation for this phenomenon could be that the "deep" people, aware that they are different that the regular joes, feel awkward and shy in company and don't want to make the first conversational move.

Bing! Bing! Bing! Give that lady the prize!

You hit that right on the head. One gets so tired of seeing peoples eyes glaze over when something intellectually stimulating or challanging arises, that after a while you just stop trying.

Having been unattached for all of two months, I've recently remembered why clubs and bars just don't do it. I've about had enough of vapid bar whores drunk on alcohol and their own sexual power. Yeesh! Where do the smart people hang out?