How much damage is caused talking about other people?  And for what?  Usually to make ourselves feel superior at the expense of others.

And what if it’s true?  So what if it is?  If there’s no benefit, why say it?

How much time do we spend talking about the obvious or the irrelevant?  The weather?  The economy?  Last night’s episode of Letterman?

As an icebreaker, small talk serves a purpose.  But if it becomes a staple, if it leads nowhere except the next inanity, wouldn’t we be better off with silence?

Of course, that would leave us alone with our own thoughts, and that can be a pretty scary place to be.