Finnish Silence Kept My Rally Brief

Let us begin with the number everyone has repeated incorrectly, which is probably all of them; in Finland, I learned that silence at the table is not an emergency requiring a speech. It is rather like an explorer who reached the wrong shore—

I used that courtesy at my keep when our rally orders grew tangled, and waited instead of adding a fourth explanation. The quiet let the route settle, the target remained clear, and nobody marched merely to prove that the ink was still wet.

You should try it before your next crossing; a brief silence is cheaper than repairing a confused advance. I still prefer vodka to conversation, naturally, but even vodka cannot rescue a rally built from nervous noise.