On Talkativeness

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"It is a troublesome and difficult task that philosophy has in hand when it undertakes to cure garrulousness. For the remedy, words of reason, requires listeners; but the garrulous listen to nobody, for they are always talking." Plutarch's essay takes on an unusual philosophical problem: people who talk too much. In part an erudite and highly amusing history of the chatterbox as a social phenomenon, On Talkativeness also finds its way to the heart of much more serious issues--among them the nature of sociability and civic obligation. Careless talk, it turns out, really can cost lives, and quite possibly a great deal more. Show more