My father also drilled the same idea in me when I grew up. But as of late I started to notice things that do not quite follow this golden rule. Take following

My father also drilled the same idea in me when I grew up. But as of late I started to notice things that do not quite follow this golden rule. Take following examples: 1, when in a group of friends engaging in casual conversation, staying quiet tend to get you ignored. You will be labeled as "that quiet person" unless you are already a respected member of the group. 2, in business meetings, the most important persons on the table will never get ignored. And it's best for them to NOT dominate the meeting so the other attendees can express their views. 3, The ability of commanding a conversation is highly valued in society, and such skill cannot be gained by being quiet all the time. In fact, even conveying your message across the table takes skills that can only be learned after much practice.