THE
POWER
OF
SILENCE
Studies
show
that
typically
we
leave
just
a
____________________
of
a
second
between
taking
____________________
to
talk
.
But
while
this
pattern
may
be
____________________
,
our
____________________
of
silence
differ
dramatically
____________________
cultures
.
Native
English
speakers
____________________
to
be
most
uncomfortable
with
long
gaps
in
a
discussion
.
And
yet
,
____________________
when
to
be
tight
-
lipped
can
give
you
the
____________________
hand
in
everything
from
sales
deals
and
pay
negotiations
to
presentations
and
staff
development
.
Silence
really
is
golden
.
Research
____________________
at
the
University
of
Groningen
found
that
when
a
silence
in
conversation
____________________
to
four
seconds
,
people
started
to
feel
____________________
.
A
separate
study
of
business
meetings
found
that
Japanese
people
were
____________________
with
silences
of
8
.
2
seconds
?
____________________
twice
as
long
as
in
Americans
?
meetings
.
The
Finns
?
who
respect
____________________
,
reserve
and
the
art
of
listening
?
are
also
happy
to
sit
in
studied
____________________
.
The
fact
that
English
speakers
generally
____________________
silence
is
partly
why
it
can
be
such
a
____________________
tool
.
Learning
how
to
face
silence
is
an
____________________
skill
,
says
psychologist
Matthew
MacLachlan
.
?
Chinese
negotiators
are
very
,
very
____________________
that
Americans
like
to
fill
silences
and
they
are
trained
to
stay
silent
and
unemotional
because
that
will
make
the
Americans
uncomfortable
and
possibly
make
____________________
without
the
Chinese
having
to
do
anything
,
?
he
says
.
So
,
what
?
s
the
best
response
?
?
Grit
your
teeth
and
wait
it
out
.
Don
?
t
offer
a
compromise
or
concession
just
because
they
are
not
speaking
.
?
