We knew that the Spaniards did not shut up or under water. Now a study has measured it: 6.9 seconds

It has happened to us all. You get into An elevator With four other strangers to climb to the ninth floor of a building and when you go for the second you already feel how a leading silence takes over the cabin, of those who seem to be cut with a knife. Uncomfortable. Annoying. Almost, almost pasty. The same when they introduce you to someone and nobody knows what to say or you just reached a first date. The silent silence. But … does everyone bother equally?

A study He has just revealed no.

A figure: 6.8 seconds. Yeah You feel uncomfortable When you are surrounded by strangers in a closed and small space and suddenly the silence becomes quiet: you are not alone. A study Prepared by the Online Platform for Language Learning PREPY He has confirmed that this sense of irritation before silence is common, very common.

It is so common, in fact, that the vast majority of the 26,700 people from 21 different countries that have surveyed PREPLY in Your study They recognize sharing it. And not just that. Its report concludes that this feeling of restlessness does not take long to generate. On average, it occurs when we have 6.8 seconds without pronouncing or listening to a single word. In the case of the Spaniards they are 6.9.

A percentage: 77%. That is the percentage of Spaniards who claim to feel uncomfortable when a conversation dies and no one is able to resume it: 77%almost eight out of ten.

There are many, but much less than in other societies even more ‘allergic’ to silence. The palm in that aspect is taken by Brazil, where 85% feel uneasiness to mutism. In Italy they are 75%, in Colombia, 80%, in the US 82%and our French and Portuguese neighbors move between a fork of approximately 70 and 75%.

A country: Thailand. The survey De Preply shows that discomfort in the face of prolonged and unwanted silences is a universal feeling. Of course, the key is what we understand by “prolonged silence.” Depending on Culturehabits and customs of each country The span of mutism that we are able to tolerate varies considerably. Two data arrives to check it: in Brazil on average they feel uncomfortable after 5.5 seconds of silence, while in Japan that does not happen until past 8.1.

It is not easy PREPLY STUDY It is that our relationship with him is complex.

For example, Thailand is the country of the list that to tolerates the most seconds and secondly is also an Asian nation, Japan, with 7.8 seconds. But the third and fourth positions are for European countries: Netherlands, where the brand is 7.4; and Germany (7,3). If we cross the data to 6.2.

A city: San Sebastián. The report is not limited to analyzing countries. It also compares cities. And in the case of Spain it reveals some striking contrasts. According to the data collected by PREPLY, the most tolerant Spaniards to involuntary silences are donostiarras. In San Sebastián they do not feel uncomfortable until past 8.67 seconds, more or less like the vigueses (8,64) and Tenerife (8,44). In the opposite pole are the Zaragozanos, who worry at 5.79 seconds, and the Pucelanos (5.95).

A place: the elevators. Not everyone reacts to mutism. And not all places awaken the same sensations. 79% of respondents recognized that the site where they have been found more commonly with pasty and heavy silences are closed spaces, such as elevators.

Other situations in which that same sensation abounds are the breakups (73%) and when you maintain a first date with someone (72%). In the list there are other scenarios equally predictable, such as casual talks with strangers, funerals or conflict situations.

A situation: the presentations. There is something that seems to be especially uncomfortable: the awkward silences during the Public presentations. 36% of respondents by PREPY recognized that this is the situation in which mutism fear the most, even more than in the first appointments, fights, elevator trips, couple discussions or family gatherings. Where we have more assumed are in the talks with co -workers or when we contact someone online.

Images | Baruk Granda

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