Show silence is golden humanity magazine for a long time I 1 have been thinking that one of the most harmful features of civilization is conversation there is too much talk too much vocal patter and chatter and clatter too much blah blah blah Is there anything more annoying and distressing than the noise produced by an empty head and a self wi winding anding tongue the world seems littered up with people who have noth ng to say but who persist in taking many long hours to say it someone has written a poem that co covers the situation perfectly I 1 quote it 1 I heard a woman talking of dish rags how they should be made and used and hung up and dried nicely and ever more replenished and while she talked of dish rags nations were arming to destroy each other and civilizations were tottering and armies were marching and battles were fighting and men women and innocent children were being bombed to death and babies and books were born and famines and flowers and the whole tremendous earth tremendously was whirling but the woman went on talking of dish rags and while I 1 am striving to express my disgust with the petty tittle tattle talkers who fill the world with ignorant noise what do I 1 find in my mail but a letter from a thrifty chicago gent who offers for the small sum of ten bucks to give me a series of lessons on the art of conversation I 1 am sure I 1 do not need the lessons what I 1 really do need is some lessons on the art of S lence I 1 have discovered that I 1 am seldom sorry for my silence but am often sorry for my speech and so if my friend will start a school to promote the art of silence I 1 might be tempted to join him if he will teach me how always to remain dumb except when my speech will promote the welfare and happiness of others if he will teach me how bow to refrain from uttering the empty meaningless absurd and offensive noise that is usually passed out as conversation if he will do this I 1 will boo boost st for him yes and I 1 will joyfully furnish him with the addresses of several millions suffering sojourners on this planet who ought to be interested in the art of less conversation wisdom ripens into silence and the lesson she doth teach Is that life is more than living and thought is more than speech |