In this example I imagine part of the reason why his infrequent talking was taken so seriously is because when he wasn't talking he was engaging in active, serious listening. This gave him a better grasp of what was going on, and it allowed him to make his own speech highly relevant and sensible.
I think this is a great lesson. Good speaking arises from good listening, because only good listening will give you the best sense of what everyone else is thinking and what you need to say to explain your own thoughts to them.
Absolutely. Remaining quiet and not constantly thinking "what can I say next to 'contribute'?" was one of the reasons I could actually really pay attention to what was going on and catch those key moments where I could actually say something worthwhile.
I think this is a great lesson. Good speaking arises from good listening, because only good listening will give you the best sense of what everyone else is thinking and what you need to say to explain your own thoughts to them.