# Shutting Up By:: [[Brian Heath]] 2023-09-21 It takes comparably few words to make a point when one knows a topic. Less is more. We intuitively know this from our many years of experience with listening and dealing with people. The more someone talks, generally, the less respect we give them. So, when someone talks a lot, we tend to discount their knowledge regardless of their skills and experiences. Therefore, the quickest way to be seen as brilliant is to say little. Even if one doesn't know about a topic, the less one says, the more knowledgeable and wise one will appear. However, learning to listen more and speak less not only makes one look wiser, one will be wiser. This is especially the case in hierarchical organizations where the game is not a meritocracy but a perception of power and control that the organization can use to further its goal. Speaking only when pertinent is closer to playing the game perfectly than any other strategy. This is true even if one says something that makes no sense, as people will tend to believe they don't get one's "brilliant insight." This is reinforced by speaking very little from the start. Furthermore, even if one does not speak up when it would be strategically important to do so, one can quickly recover later with an email saying that one has thought it over and here is one's more well-thought-out response. Never speaking is not a fool-proof strategy, but it will work to get one to at least two levels higher than their performance would dictate. So, be wise and shut up. One will be amazed by the results. #### Related Items [[Wisdom]] [[Talking]] [[Meetings]] [[Organization]] [[Work]] [[Meritocracy]] [[Power]]