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The Economic Times
The Economic Times
Team Global

Psychology says people who speak less carry more authority because talking is how most people seek approval, and the absence of having to prove yourself registers as power no amount of articulation can replicate

Many people assume that authority comes from speaking often, speaking confidently, and always having something to say; yet social psychologists have repeatedly found that people do not judge status or authority solely by how much someone talks. In many situations, the opposite effect can emerge. A person who speaks selectively, pauses comfortably, and appears unconcerned about winning every moment of a conversation can sometimes seem more authoritative than the person doing most of the talking. The reason is not that silence is inherently powerful; it is just that people constantly use conversational behavior to judge confidence, status, and social need. According to research published in Evolutionary Psychology, long before listeners evaluate whether someone is right, they often make assumptions about where that person stands in the social hierarchy. When someone appears less dependent on attention or approval, observers often interpret that independence as a sign of authority.

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