21. Dealing with people who won’t shut up
Encountering someone who simply won’t stop talking is a hazard to life and has been since ancient times, as history recounts. In daily life, it is common to encounter someone who simply cannot give it a rest, whether the subject being of some importance or simply trivial inanity. It can be a friend temporarily annoying, a complete stranger standing in a seemingly endless line not moving, or someone seated beside on a public conveyance. The modern defense of inserting earbuds may be resorted too, but sometimes the desired atmosphere is simply one of peace and quiet. There were lifehacks in the past which could be called upon.
One is to quote Shakespeare, though this defense comes with some risk. It may encourage the talker to simply enter into a discussion of Shakespeare, unless delivered with the proper scorn. “Give thy thoughts no tongue” (Hamlet Act 1, Scene 3) might bring about the desired silence, though woe unto them who utter it unknowingly to a Shakespeare fan. One might also quote Poor Richard, delivered with a sigh, “Teach your child to hold his tongue, he’ll learn fast enough to speak”. But it may be best to observe self-consolation, from Poor Richard, “Since I cannot govern my own tongue, tho’ within my own teeth, how can I hope to govern the tongues of others?”