Listen and wait

Though my wife may disagree, I'm a decent listener. I'm at my happiest when I'm asking questions, learning something new. If we've ever had a long conversation together, it's likely that I've asked more quesions than I've answered.

One thing I'm actively trying to get better with is not filling the silent gaps. I find it very hard to just sit there, in a sea of silence and just...let it be. I'm very likely to jump in — probably with a question — to keep things moving along.

I have two resolutions to help with this:

First, in the words of Cal Fussman I'm going to try and "let the silence do the work". This will be especially important in interviews, where often feel inclined to jump in after a moment of quiet.

Second, I'm practicing taking just an extra second or two while replying to something. If I don't have my thoughts completely together, I'm resolved to wait that extra couple of seconds until I do. This feels a little strange at the moment, but I'm assuming it will become more natural in time.

Here goes.