A brass ear trumpet faces a dandelion seed head and drifting seeds against deep teal.

Original artwork, not a still

Germain G. Glidden

The older I grow, the more I listen to people who don't talk much.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

Growing older is associated with paying closer attention to quieter people. The apparent contradiction is that saying less can invite more listening. The speaker describes a changing preference, suggesting that the amount someone talks is not a reliable measure of how much attention their words deserve.

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