Most people think conversation is like a competitive sport, who says the most, speak the loudest and the longest, makes cleverest points is the winner= all to support superior knowledge. What a foolish behavior, being right in their own eyes and ignores everyone else! Like vomit!
But it's almost always true, the less you speak, the more the person you're speaking with will listen.If you constantly share your opinions, no one will seek them out. If you only say what you're thinking on occasion, or only make a point one time instead of over and over, your words are likely to have more weight. Especially in a leadership role.. Listening more is a product of humility, the opposite of quick to speak- this is arrogance.
Listening more , seeking to understand before we interject our opinion, we gain the opportunity to understand others better. That breeds empathy and understanding, which also fosters humility.
"Shallow waters are noisy; deep waters are silent."
You make some really good points here and it's clear you understand the art of effective communication quite well. Unfortunately in society these days the art of conversation is dying through the use of email, social media and the never ending distractions that exist. It's quite sad.