Silence

Sherlock Holmes once solved a murder mystery based not on what happened but on what didnt happen. Holmes remarked to his assistant, Dr Watson, about "the curious incident of the dog in the nighttime". Watson, surprised, responds, "But the dog did nothing in the nighttime". To which Holmes replied,"That was the curious incident."Holmes concluded the crime had to be committed by someone with whom the dog was familiar because the watchdog didnt bark.

The dog didnt bark in the night is often used as a metaphor for an event that is significant by reason of its absence. That story is also an excellent illustration of the importance of silence in communication.

Silence-defined here as an absence of speech or noise-has been generally ignored as a form of communication beacuse it represents inaction or nonbehavour.But its not necessarily inaction. Nor is silence, as many believe, a failure to communicate. It can, in fact, be a powerful form of communication.It can mean someone is thinking or contemplating a response to a question. It can mean a person is anxious and fearful of speaking. It can signal agreement, dissent, frustration, or anger.

Failing to pay closeattention to the silent portion of a conversation can result in missinga vital part of the message. Astute communicators watch for gaps, pause, and hesitations.They hear and interprete silence. They treat pauses for instance, as analogous to a flashing yellow light at an intersection - they pay attention to what comes next. Is the person thinking, deciding how to frame an answer? Is the person suffering from communication apprehension? Sometimes the real message in a communication is burried in the silence.

Todays thought :

"I love it when I am sad..it hepls me value happiness

I love it when I am lonely..it helps me value company"