Life Lesson #1: Silence is Powerful. Use it to your advantage.

My old pal Vito has mastered this lesson

Buongiorno my followers and fellow inhabitants of Monte Cristo Isle!

Today’s post, the first lesson of the blog, will be about silence.

Over time, silence has been perceived in several ways. For some, it is a sign of weakness. For others, a lack of communication skills. Many link silence to awkwardness and, in arguments, to defeat. You’ve most likely, my faithful follower, came across at least one of the above definitions of silence in your lifetime. What if I were to tell you that all of these are not necessarily the case; that the silence you oftentimes avoid actually has a strong side, a touch of wisdom, that you begin to understand the more you practice it? As I tend to keep things to the point, let us not waste any time and dive right in:

6 Benefits of Silence

1. The more information you reveal to people, the greater the chances of your words being used against you. This applies to everyone – your family, friends, and especially – enemies. Information is power and by remaining silent, you obtain it rather than give it away. Words also give away your emotions, always talk in a calm manner.
2. When you find yourself in an argument or on the edge of engaging in one, silence helps. From a 3rd-person’s perspective, the person who shuts-up first demonstrates better self-control and wisdom. The silence may also allow the other person in the argument to reassess the situation, especially if accompanied by a calm look in their eyes, or if they’re foolish it’ll enrage them even more. Better to stay silent in the first place – as it takes two to make an argument and ruin your relations.
3. Silence is attractive. Ever heard of charisma? Well, that is a skill linked to passionate stares, light-hearted smiles, and confidence. Do you see “talking” here? I don’t. In fact the more you talk, the less mysterious you become and trust me – that kills attraction and all excitement associated with it. Of course you may flirt and hold small-talk, but never turn dialogues into monologues.
4. Being silent means you listen more. Everyone loves talking and, by listening, you show them that you care. It gives people joy when they are heard and understood – hence, you will undoubtedly make friends everywhere you go. Keep your phrases short and let them do the talking.
5. Silence is intimidating, use it to your advantage. Forget awkwardness, it may be used as a weapon to build pressure. Let’s say, for example, you are a detective and ask the suspect: “I don’t want to send you to jail for 24 months so one last time, do you have the stolen diamond or not?”. The suspect instantly replies “no!”. It’s an automatic defense, a fight-or-flight, capiche? What if now, instead of asking again or slamming hands on the table, you stare and say nothing more? It will put pressure on the person and, as thoughts rush through their head, they will weaken up and talk. You probably wouldn’t get that even if you physically injured them but, with invisible silence, it’s possible.
6. Silence gives you time to reflect about decisions you’ve made and makes you more focused. You get to know yourself better and, by practicing silence, you make better and more clear decisions in the future.

That’s all for today. If you enjoyed this post, share it with those you care about. If you’re new, join the Isle of Monte Cristo by following this blog.

Yours Truly,

Count of Monte Cristo