Since childhood and throughout your life, you are encouraged to ask questions. I am a father if two small children, so there is no shortage of questions being asked in the Murphy house. Although questions are always encouraged-asking questions isn't the best way to gain knowledge. Listening is far more effective.
I have a friend who hates awkward silence. It's obvious. Whenever there is a lull in any conversation, he starts asking random questions. Lots of questions and almost everything he can think of. I don't think he knows that I have caught onto his crutch, but sometimes just for fun, I will force awkward silence just to watch him squirm and force "noise" into the lull in conversation.
I'm not confident he is learning anything from his questions.
When meeting someone for the first time or attempting to break the ice, it's necessary to ask a few questions to get the conversation flowing. First dates require lots of questions. Client meetings too. Just know when to stop asking and start listening. The smartest person in the room is not always the person doing all the talking. The smartest person is often the person who says nothing for long periods of time, collecting info along the way and then hits the room with the question or statement that takes the conversation to the next level. I don't go out of my way to be this guy, but I do prefer to "win" the meeting as opposed to being the one doing all the talking.
When in a crowded room, airport, etc full of people I tend to stop and take in the conversations around me. A wealth of knowledge can be gained if you stop for a moment and let the ambiance teach you a thing or two. It's not always earth shattering information; sometimes it's just an opportunity to educate myself about the people around me.
Above all, it kills time.
For example-I'm on a plane right now on my way to see Mickey Mouse in Florida. The guy in the row of three seats to my right used to be Michael Winslow's manager. If that name doesn't right a bell, he's the sound effects guy from the Police Academy movies. Anyway, according to his former manager, Michael is a dick and owes him money. I'm not sure if there is a lot to gain with this knowledge, but if I ever meet the actor, I'll be on the lookout for dick-like behavior.
Perhaps not the best example of why you should shut up and listen, but it brings more to the table than talking about the fat guy that's leaning on my armrest, right? What are the odds that he is reading this over my shoulder? If he moves his arm, then it's a win for me. Although the next 90 minutes of this flight might be awkward.
Never mind. He didn't move.
Asking questions is fine and encouraged. Stop and listen to the answers that are given to you before you load up the next question. Above all, know that more knowledge is gained by listening to the world around you, yes even eavesdropping, than you will ever gain by trying to fill the awkward silence with noise.
PS-The elderly couple in front of me are doing a crossword puzzle and the woman just explained to her husband what twerking is. You can't buy this kind of entertainment.
