Awkward silences have many uses. It can be used to convey power, to exert influence over the other, and to keep the other person in uncertainty. Silence, according to studies, starts to feel unbearable after four seconds.

Often, l...

A psychological study looked into the need for closure of individuals, and how bothered people are when they are faced with disorder, chaos, lack of information and lack of resolution.

It concluded that our personality traits make us crave for closure, with people who like...

• Many CEOs and entrepreneurs know that being comfortable with uncertainty and awkward silence can be a superpower.
• Candidates negotiating for their salary can use this superpower of being silent (and giving out no non-verbal information too) when the initial job offer is doled out...

• Silence, when used strategically and intentionally, can help negotiate great deals and generate new ideas.
• Prolonged silence can make others feel anxious, uncertain, less self-assured and even rejected, and the silent treatment hurts them more than any words could....

Being comfortable with silence makes us more powerful, contrary to popular perception.

Silence can be injected in a conversation to heighten the impact of the words and make the other person act according to our will.