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?

Do you prefer talking about people -- or discussing ideas? For example, if you had a choice between chatting with your coworker about her neighbor's friend's cousin, or conversing about something more substantive -- say, human behavior, the future of the U.S. under Donald Trump, or research-backed ways to lose weight -- which would you choose? As you can probably guess, I strongly favor the latter. When it comes to people-centered conversations, I become very bored after a while unless the conversation concerns something impressive the subject has done (e.g., graduate with honors or start his own business). I find the most compelling conversations to be those I can (1) relate to, and (2) ultimately learn something from. For example, if I were looking to sell my property, I would take great interest in a friend's drawn-out speech on everything her sister went through to sell her townhouse. If I were looking to buy new tires for my car, I'd listen attentively to...

Have you ever encountered someone who doesn't know how and when to shut up? I can just picture you nodding your head. I don't think these people purposely do it to annoy others. They may not be cognizant of the fact that they go on and on far longer than others may care to listen. My coworker Veronica is this way. She talks about everything under the sun -- from her daughter's shopping habits to her dog's eating habits -- and doesn't know when to quit. Much to my chagrin, these drawn-out conversations -- what many of us would call chit-chat or small talk -- are usually devoid of substance. I would love to find people conversing about history, psychology, or the wonders of the universe for an hour, but that seldom happens. Those are the kinds of deep, enthralling subjects that great conversations are made of. Beyond that, there's an obvious reason a person shouldn't ramble on that long: a conversation consists of more than one person, and the othe...

I have a coworker who literally announces whenever he has to go to the bathroom. Another person I work with always voices when she is hungry. Still another coworker -- as soon as the clock strikes 12:30 -- verbalizes in advance that she is going to lunch. Why must people put everything on the table?  Are some individuals so narcissistic these days as to assume that others need to know everything they're thinking, doing, and planning? Something that has seemingly gotten lost on these folks is the art of mystery. One of the things I find so unsettling about the workplace is that these kinds of scenarios play out on a daily basis. And given how closely packed together cubicles are becoming to accommodate an ever-increasing number of employees, it's an inescapable reality. I think the reason people are this way is because, put simply, they're attention hounds. They're anything but self-contained. They're constantly looking for validation from others. They ne...

Last night, I submittted a post that centered on the fact that many people feel uneasy in overly quiet settings. I wanted to take that very concept and focus now on silence experienced while in the presence of someone else. There's something about quiet people that makes some of us uncomfortable. Some people feel that quiet people are as such because they "must be hiding something." Others liken the tight-lipped with serial killers and mass murderers who carry out horrific crimes. Still others just can't wrap their heads around why someone could be so reticent and presume them to be stuck-up or overly self-absorbed. (If you're a quiet person yourself, you've likely been in this situation before.) This topic hits close to home because I have been a fairly quiet person my whole life (except through my writing). When I was a kid, my peers described me as weird and often teased me just to elicit some sort of reaction in me. When I finished high school and en...

At How to Understand People, few topics are explored as extensively as that of personality. I find it to be such a compelling subject that I base at least a couple of posts on it each month. In case you missed some of my earlier posts on personality, here's a quick rundown of the chief differences between introverts and extroverts. In general, introverts: Direct their energy inward Become overwhelmed by too much stimuli (noises, colors, etc.) Become easily drained by heavy social interaction Prefer small groups of people to large ones Routinely need to recharge their batteries by being alone in a quiet setting Enjoy reading, writing, and other solitary activities Get put off by small talk Like delving deeply into subjects of interest (history, politics, science, etc.) Think carefully before they speak Don't waste words Are not confrontational Are likely to pursue careers in the arts or that require working behind the scenes In general, extroverts: Ar...