25: Garrulousness

Garrulousness is another common defense mechanism, in which a person fills in the time blabbering about trivial matters as a means to prevent more poignant conversation, or even time to think about things that may be unpleasant. The garrulousness person seeks to control the conversation, preventing others from asking questions or changing the topic, and generally directs the conversation to things that are trivial or vacuous.

A similar defense, glibness, consists of being very fluent and apparently at ease in dissembling by use of an amusing or artistic mode of speech to deflect sensitive topics, dodging questions or changing the topic of conversation. A garrulous person may be glib if a sensitive topic is brought up - the difference being a person who is merely glib will hand the conversation back to others after deflecting the sensitive topic whereas the garrulous person will carry on talking.

It's noted that a careful listener can often detect when a garrulous or glib person deflects or avoids an issue - but if he points it out, the person who seeks to avoid the topic will continue to dodge it, or may become withdrawn and sullen, and in either case may avoid the careful listener's company.

Reticence has the same motivation, but a completely different tactic: a person who is reticent will refrain from talking or limit what he says when a sensitive topic comes to the surface. It is not the same as shyness or social phobia, as a reticent person may find pleasure and be at ease in the company of others so long as the sensitive topic is not mentioned.