The word of the day is laconic . To be laconic is to use very few words. Synonyms for laconic include terse, pithy, brief, concise, and succinct. I'm the perfect example of someone who's laconic. I don't like talking unless I have something meaningful to say and I've thought through my words carefully. That's why, when I actually have something to say, people shut up and listen.  I only wish that people who tend to blab others' ear off realized that they can be laconic and drive their point home without providing so much detail. Sometimes we don't need to hear the whole backstory, you know? Small talk, chitchat, blabber, babble -- it's all anathema to me. The only form of communication through which I'm known to employ many words? In writing, of course, as you can probably tell from this blog! Had you ever heard or used the word laconic before reading this post?

Have you ever noticed that the words "listen" and "silent" are spelled with the same exact letters? It's fitting that they'd be composed of the same letters considering that you need to remain silent -- if momentarily -- in order to listen to others. Alas, there are far too many Donald Trumps in the world who run their mouths but never stop to listen to what others have to say. If more people stopped and listened, there would be far less conflict in the world. You can be self-confident without being strident and brash. You can get your point across without interrupting others. I've advocated for standing up for oneself, but never have I said that you need to be loud and obnoxious to achieve this. I wish that people would leave their egos at the door and understand that communication is a two-way street. A conversation where one person is hardly allowed to talk isn't much of a conversation at all. Remember the saying "Do unto others as ...