why?

The major shareholder in an investment firm with an annual funding of over $20 million, Permjot defined with unmistaken clarity a pivotal moment in their company's future. He said he'd been at a conference in Canada and sharing their vision for growth there, and afterwards a man he'd read about, seen speak, and respected greatly approached him. He greeted Permjot, then looked at him and calmly asked "why Canada?" 

Then he allowed the ensuing silence to run it's course as Permjot struggled through the limitless volumes of answers he could give but he knew wouldn't be enough.

The firm went on to invest in 33 companies a around the world in 4 continents.

My wife read to me from a case study in her grad program tonight. "When you answer a question you ask your students, you cheat them out of the discussion that follows unanswered questions."

Jerold Panas wrote in his book about how to successfully raise money that it is of the highest importance after the question is posed to the constituent if they would like to give, to not fill the silence that follows. The potential donor MUST be the first one to speak afterwards. This allows them a chance to ponder the decision as long as they need and be fully responsible for their answer, not simply made to feel comfortable and become blanketed by voiced assumptions about their feelings. 

In a world increasingly filled with ambient white noise and distractions, silence has become even that much more paramount to our decision-making processes. Allow yourself to do more than just react all the time. Maybe you'll find something in those pauses you hadn't seen yet, or may have missed otherwise.