# The Less One Says By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2024-03-08 There is a common saying that “less is more.” On a direct level, this saying is absurd. More is more, and less is less. On a deeper level, there is something incredibly insightful to this saying. More contributes to distraction. Less facilitates focus. Nearly every word is contained in an unabridged dictionary, yet it has little prose or quotes worth sharing. The dictionary contains more words than almost any book. Its contents are not inspirational. A similar thing can be said when talking in meetings. The more one says, the less memorable is any one thing the person stated. The less one says, the more potential it holds for being significant. There is another saying that “one was given two ears and one mouth because one should listen twice as much as one talks.” This likely overstates how much one should talk. Listen and observe. Understanding what people are saying and how they are saying it and getting some idea of why they are saying it is strategically valuable. A well-placed synthesis of perspectives or paradigm-shifting critique can change the organizational discussion, if not the organization. The less one says, the better. #### Related Items [[Strategy]] [[Talking]] [[Listening]] [[Organization]] [[Thinking]] [[Words]] [[Work]]