We like talking. Everyone does. But some are especially gifted with the skill of talkativeness. They can keep talking till their mouths start hurting (maybe even after that). I call them 'Talkers' (not stalkers... they're different.)

In contrast, there are those who listen. They can listen patiently and unflinchingly to your constant jibber-jabbers (no matter how annoying you may be). I call them 'Listeners'.

The other day, I met such a friend and oh boy! can she talk! She keeps going on and on about random stuff and doesn't really care if i'm interested or not. There's no escape route, no other option. I just have to listen. I made a few futile attempts at trying to turn it into a dialogue but it seemed she liked monologues more. Trying to stop a marauding 'talker' preying on his/her victim is pointless. Didn't take me long to figure that out.

Anyway, during that conversation, my mind kinda drifted far away and i started wondering. How do 'Talkers' talk so much? What I mean is, from where do they get their near-limitless supply of random topics? Its almost like their mouths are connected directly to that supply-chamber-of-random-topics while entirely by-passing their cognitive system. Quite perplexing for a 'Listener' like myself. Listeners usually listen to the person, process that information, form a reply in their heads, again process the reply (just to be safe) and only then they speak it out. Takes a second or two. Sometimes more. But my point is, talkers don't seem to use their brains when they're using their mouths. Wait, no, I'm not saying that they're stupid. Just that they're more prone to sounding stupid than listeners. Yet, they're more popular than listeners. How does that work?

Maybe because 'Talkers' really don't care. They're carefree by nature and thus, they tend to be more open and extrovertish than listeners. They don't keep many secrets (that's a fact!). They are very friendly and lovable. They are mostly quite cheerful and they are also more expressive of their feelings than listeners. You can expect them to be very honest about their feelings and emotions too. Better yet, they always have something to tell which makes them very interesting conversationalists. That makes them very sociable and fun-to-be-with kind of persons. Hence, they are popular. On the other hand, listeners tend to be more reserved and introvertish by nature. Hence, less popular.

But, 'Listeners' have their advantages too. They are better thinkers than talkers, so they're good at problem-solving. They're good advisers too. So, If you ever feel like needing a bit of counselling for any problem in your life, then the listener is the guy you go to. The listeners are also very trustworthy and excellent secret-keepers. They may not be as expressive as the talkers but they are more understanding. They stay clear-headed and calm even while all others start running around in panic. They can even extend this calmness to their surroundings by solving others' problems.

So, if you want some fun-time, go to a talker and if you want some peace of mind, find a listener.