Hi, Umme. I liked your recent article aobut the effects of silence. I find that Asians and Middle-East Cultures are better listeners than inhabitants of the west. For example, Americans are used to voicing their opinions before thinking, taking action prior to knowing all the facts, jumping to conclusions, and rushing in to fix things that are not broken. I agree that we must not react to all situations, and must think before we judge and participate. There is nothing that influences a conversation more than when one of the members counts to ten before answering. It slows down the process, giving everyone a chance to think. Unfortunately, as you may know, our world is filled with politicians who say and act without the benefit of the thought process. Thanks for sharing. Regards