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People

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

— Germain G. Glidden

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

An editorial 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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