Much attention is given to the importance of finding the right words to say to women. In many ways that's a good thing, because more often than not some level of conversation is in order when interacting with women.

And yes, if you're good at that, you'll have greater success with women.

But don't kid yourself. There's also EXTREME masculine power to be found in knowing when the time is right to shut up.

Nobody really discusses that a whole lot, which is why I'm going to bring the subject up right here and right now.

To put it succinctly, men who are adept at recognizing precisely when the best thing to say is NOTHING tend to be thought of as the most socially powerful--and indeed the coolest--guys in the pack.

They're viewed as leaders.

To find compelling evidence of this phenomenon, you need not look any further than Hollywood.

Look at Don Corleone in The Godfather, especially vis-à-vis the evolution of his son Michael over the course of the trilogy.

How about Paul Newman's classic portrayal of Cool Hand Luke? Steve McQueen in Bullitt? Heck, just watch ANY Clint Eastwood movie from the 60s or early 70s.

Even Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid, for crying out loud (or not).

There are modern examples too, of course.

Compare how Walter White conducts himself in Breaking Bad compared to Jesse Pinkman, especially in the earlier episodes. You could also compare Saul Goodman to Mike Ehrmantrout...or even Tuco Salamanca to Gus Fring, right?

Consider the difference between Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in the movies they've done together.

It's almost ALWAYS the guy who knows how to keep his mouth shut--especially when the stakes are highest--who's perceived to be the badass.

He's the one who people will be more likely to trust to get the freakin' job done than some other guy who doesn't know how to stop running his trap.

I mean Eddie Murphy is hilarious in Beverly Hills Cop, as is Joe Pesci in My Cousin Vinnie and Danny McBride as Kenny Powers. But all of those loud-mouthed characters are "anti-heroes" at best, and none is particularly confidence inspiring.

So what is it about these guys who appear to be so comfortable with silence, even when the vast majority of other dudes would JUST have to say something?

Well, I think anyone who has ever seen an old episode or two of "Cops" can understand how foolish dudes tend to look whenever they forego their "right to be silent" when arrested.

To put it bluntly, foolishness doesn't attract women.

Meanwhile the persona of the man who chooses his words carefully whenever the situation warrants it has no such issue. Women almost universally ADORE him.

Is it because by knowing when to be quiet he shows that he actually knows how to listen? Maybe...a little bit.

Or is it that he comes off as being mysterious? Well, creating intrigue certainly contributes to attraction.

But I personally believe the true magic lies in the perceptions that a man of few words is calculated and deliberate.

The patience of self-restraint directly translates into mature discipline, which in turn translates to the masculine power to make good decisions and to provide and protect. Those traits, you'll recall, make women horny.

To be sure, we're NOT talking about a man here who CANNOT find the right words. That's not the point. Knowing what to say is a tremendous skillset to have, and every man should aspire to acquire it if he hasn't already.

Rather, we're talking about knowing when NOT to say a word--or to be a man of few words--regardless of how many things that could possibly be said come to mind.

There's really no question that it's much more DIFFICULT to bite one's tongue than it is to spew forth everything that's on one's mind.

But see, that's the very essence of why knowing when to be quiet is SO blasted amazing. The "strong, silent type" is strong MENTALLY and EMOTIONALLY, not necessarily physically.

For what it's worth, since this is a skill associated with maturity, welcome to yet another reason why younger women often go for older guys. And if you're a younger guy, consider yourself armed with a great strategy for making your own age go nuts for you instead of that older dude.

The good news is that we can all do better with practice, even if we've been born on the East Coast and grew up with five people talking at once at the dinner table (like me).

In fact, all you really have to do to take the first step is to deliberately give silence a try.

The next time someone wants to "troll" you, simply take a deep breath, step back and let them keep talking, knowing that the more they say, the better you'll look.

When someone wants to drag you into a mud-slinging session, don't answer them when they ask you what you think. Pause until the silence is almost uncomfortable, then maybe change the subject.

If you encounter a guy who wants to brag about his accomplishments even though you've clearly done better--unbeknownst to him--take the high road and congratulate him, without any measure of one-upmanship.

You can bet that someone else who overheard the conversation and knows you well will set the record straight on your behalf. And even if they don't, so what? He'll still look like the lesser man.

So why not put the premise of being a man of few words to the test the next time you sense it could be the right way to go?

The worst that could happen is that you align yourself with Steve McQueen, Paul Newman and Clint Eastwood.

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below!