"The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause."- Mark Twain By the time someone opens their mouth, they have already said quite a lot. Watch two people in  a waiting room who clearly know each other but are not speaking. There is no argument, no coldness-  just a shared quiet that looks almost like furniture, something both of them have settled into comfortably. Now watch two strangers forced to sit together in the same silence.