The proverb “silence is golden” makes me ponder, what is gold worth today? Well, at the time of writing this post, gold was priced at $1,659.54 per ounce (see above image). Ergo, a moment of silence – but a pause – can have great value.
Much happens within a few-seconds’ pause – The rich audible resonance following the symphony’s final note at Carnegie Hall, the effervescent burst of flavor upon one’s first sip of sparkling wine and the spontaneous firing of an audience’s innumerable neurons.
A speaker’s most profound tool may be his or her strategic use of a pause. That moment of silence allows the audience to process your message, to internalize and make application. The pause also allows you, the speaker, to catch up with yourself. What’s more, pauses make a speech more interesting, much like intentional rests within a musical score. Imagine if every symphonic musician played the lengthy suite with nary a rest. Their conductor might as well distribute sleeping pills to the patrons. Rests add variety and character to a piece; so too a speech.
The great orator Winston Churchill embraced the tactical power of pause. He purposely inserted white space in his typewritten speeches to cue his pauses, with great impact. JFK, no slouch of a speaker himself, described Churchill’s oratory style this way – “In the dark days and darker nights when England stood alone — and most men save Englishmen despaired of England’s life — he mobilized the English language and sent it into battle.” The spoken word is powerful, and pause packs a punch.
Unfortunately, many would-be Churchill’s spoil silence with needless utterances. Most common is the habitual “um” or “uh,” followed by misplaced connectors such as a “so” hung in the air like a hat rack. Especially annoying in my view are the meaningless habitual words – “like,” “I mean,” “you know” and “right.”
If you are an offender, do everyone a huge favor and stop it. Pleeassssse . . . spit out your “um.” Allow the silence to resonate. Your pauses will pay great dividends. Silence is golden.
© 2013 Russ Riddle. All rights reserved.