Talk is cheap

TLDR

Talk is cheap, or is it though? This blog is my way of talking to you and it costs me dearly since I’m way too busy to spend much of my time writing a blog that hardly anyone reads. So this blog will be quite short.

Introduction

At a glance, this seemingly straightforward adage implies that words are easy to toss around, that promises can be made without much thought or genuine intention to see them through. However, as you journey through the short but intricate maze of this blog, you’ll uncover a reality that’s far more complex than our initial assumptions. My mission? To dissect this common saying, to challenge its validity, and to unearth the hidden costs that come with talking. So, strap in, as you’re about to embark on a short but captivating voyage into the true value of words; operative word being “short”.

The Doors of Perception

When we say “talk is cheap”, we’re often referring to the ease with which words can be spoken. It’s a breeze to make grand promises, to declare ambitious plans, or to express lofty ideals. There’s no immediate cost to uttering words. No physical labour, no monetary expense, no tangible investment. It’s this apparent lack of immediate consequence that gives birth to the notion that talk is cheap. It’s a phrase that’s been passed down through generations, a cultural shorthand for the scepticism we feel when words aren’t backed by action.

We encounter examples of cheap talk in our daily lives. Consider the friend who always promises to catch up but never follows through, or the colleague who constantly talks about their big ideas but never takes the first step towards actualizing them. Think about the politician who makes grandiose promises during election season, only to conveniently forget them once in office. Or the gossip who spreads rumours without considering the potential harm they might cause. These are instances where talk is not just cheap, but practically worthless. It’s all sizzle and no steak, all bark and no bite, or sometimes a big painful bite.

The hidden realities

Every conversation, every dialogue, every monologue, they all come with a price tag. It’s just that this price tag isn’t always immediately visible. It’s not a cost we can neatly quantify in dollars and cents. But make no mistake, talking isn’t always cheap. In fact, it can be quite costly.

For starters, there’s the time we spend talking. Time, as they say, is money. Every minute we spend talking is a minute we could have spent doing something else — listening maybe?

Then there’s the energy cost. Talking, especially about complex or emotionally charged topics, can be mentally and emotionally draining. It requires focus, empathy, and mental agility. Again, you need to consider the opportunity cost when you focus your energies on talking rather than on something else.

And let’s not forget the emotional investment. When we share our thoughts and feelings, we make ourselves vulnerable. We risk being misunderstood, judged, or rejected. If we decide to expose ourselves by talking, we should make sure that the benefit outweighs the cost we’re bearing.

Lastly, and not because it’s the last cost of talking but because of my lack of time to talk to you today, there’s the cost of missed benefits. What do I mean by this? Sometimes the cost we bear from what we say is the missed benefit we would gain if we hadn’t said it or if we had said something different. Many times we’re not aware of the fact that we just lost a benefit, other times we realise quickly or sometime afterwards that we missed a benefit that we either used to have or were expecting to get.

(Edit) — I had to come back and add this bit, because I have a bit of time now and because I think it’s important to do so (although these are not so hidden realities I’d think). It’s possibly so obvious that I wouldn’t need to add it but anyway. What we are able to say also can have a cost associated with. So we not only pay the cost of the consequences of what we say but we also pay for the privilege of being able to say certain things. The obvious one is education. Many of us have to pay for higher education, if nothing else with our time, effort and opportunity cost. And as Americans know better than anyone else, we can also end up paying a lot of money for that education that in many cases allows us to be able to say things that no one cares about. But it also allows us to say things that move humanity forward and improve our standards of living. Then there are the costs we pay by having to live through certain situations that allow us to be able to say certain things that we wouldn’t be able to otherwise.

These are the real costs of talking, the hidden expenses (*and not so hidden) that make the phrase “talk is cheap” a gross oversimplification of the complex dynamics of human communication.

It gets worse

Consider the realm of legal disputes. A poorly chosen phrase, a misinterpreted statement, a blatant or nuanced lie, can lead to lawsuits that drain resources and time.

In business or commercial negotiations, the wrong words can lead to disastrous outcomes such as rupture of existing relationships.

But it’s not just professional and commercial relationships that can be damaged, sometimes beyond repair, personal relationships can and do happen too.

Opportunities can be lost, doors that were once open can be slammed shut. And perhaps most damaging of all is the harm that can be done to one’s reputation. In our interconnected world, where words can be shared and spread with a click of a button, reputational harm can be swift and devastating. So, while it may be tempting to dismiss talk as cheap, it’s worth remembering that the cost of our words can sometimes be more than we’re willing to pay.

Conclusion

I’m not going to tell you to shut up and listen. One of the best tools we have to improve ourselves is to teach as we learn and we do that by listening and then talking.

Talking is extremely important and beneficial to our lives, if you read my previous blogs, particularly “Walk the Talk” you’re well aware that I consider our communication skills a pillar to our success in all areas of our lives. So much so that I will continue to write about that topic.

Today’s blog is not about how we say it, which is extremely important for any effective communication, or about what we say with our omissions or body language, but about what we say, explicitly. The cost of our words.

Talk is not cheap. Words have meanings, and carry a cost that you must be aware of and willing to pay when you open your mouth.

Let me know your thoughts below 😀 Peace!