In today’s world a moment of silence is hard to come by. Be it background noise of the TV or constant notifications from friends or family [on our devices]. Silence has become a foreign concept to us. Even our vocabulary has changed around the concept of silence, terms like Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) and hustling are indication that we need to always be on the move or involved in something. If we are not, something is wrong.
It is important to take note that silence is not merely the absence of noise, it’s also the control and silencing of your own inner voice and thoughts. Imagine tethering a kite to a tree and letting it blow in the wind. When I think of silence I think of that scene, there is still movement, there is still colour there is still life, but it is grounded in something firm and unshakable.
It is where we reflect on our lives, thoughts, plans and emotions. It is also sometimes what we need to make the right choices.
As someone who spends a lot of time in silence, for better or worse, I don’t fear it, but I treat it like a mentor that guides me. And it seems that many philosophers in the past have had similar thoughts:
Friedrich Nietzsche, wrote,
‘The noble man honours in himself the powerful one, him also who has power over himself, who knows how to speak and how to keep silence, who takes pleasure in subjecting himself to severity and hardness, and has reverence for all that is severe and hard’.
Nietzsche implies that true power comes from self-mastery over one’s words and thoughts. It is a space for one to practice their own strength. For Nietzsche, silence represents a break from the dictatorship of language, an opportunity for one to learn when to speak and when to remain silent. To study the world without placing oneself as distraction.
Similarly, the philosopher Simone Weil wrote
‘Our soul makes constant noise, but it has a silent place we never hear’.
For Weil, in the search for the divine the only place we can find it is in our silence. It is the only time God will not be interrupted in speaking with us because our distractions are put at bay.
Many times, when we cry silent tears, it holds more emotions and truth then whatever words we can muster up to speak. The purity of silence is that it allows for a free expression that would only ever be limited by words.
Silence is not Weakness
One of the most intriguing aspects of silence is how often it is categorised as weakness. If someone does not retort back to defend themselves or to engage in conversations that are untrue, they are seen as being complicit. But they are far from it, they are disengaging from the noise in the world. Sometimes in being well-meaning to find answers, I wonder if we are just giving people the opportunity to justify their actions with inadequate words and resounding noise, that it deafens our moral compass.
The idea that actions speak louder than words is a phrase we use often but hardly practice.
Zeno of Citium, shares how silence is a way to prevent yourself from becoming a fool. He writes that
‘It is better to trip with the feet than the tongue’.
His understanding in how many of the world’s fights, wars are aggravated by the tongue, a splash of anger, words and actions that do not think or consider its repercussions.
Similarly, Jean Paul Sarte recognises that silence has power:
‘Every word has consequences. Every silence, too.’
Silence acts as a signal to others on your stance and position.
From the perspective of free speech, people should be allowed to say whatever they want, and while free speech is a way one can freely express themselves remaining silent is another less taken path that people can also choose to express themselves freely.
While it may not be as flashy as speaking your mind, it does hold more wisdom.
In choosing silence, people can reject overwhelming expectations placed on them by society, or their peers. Silence becomes a deliberate refusal to conform to a world that expects constant output and response.
Silence as a path to Self
The idea of silence as an introspective practice is not new. Many Eastern philosophies, especially those found in Buddhism and Hinduism, place great emphasis on the power of silence for self-realization. The practice of meditation has been seen to embrace silence and cultivate inner awareness to achieve enlightenment.
In the words of Rabbi Akavia
Silence is a fence around wisdom.
It often suggests that silence is a protective barrier, preserving wisdom by controlling impulsive speech and allowing time for deeper thought and learning.
In the end silence helps prevent mistakes, protects the purity and authenticity of wisdom, and allows for the observation and understanding of others. It fosters one’s own growth and thoughtful decision-making.
A Moment of Silence
There is a reason when someone passes we are asked to remain silent. Silence brings out the introspective quality of life that we are missing today. I hope after reading this, you will learn to embrace a moment of silence, be it in grabbing a drink alone or sitting at the park bench admiring the sky.
Find the time to be silent.
As the poet T.S. Eliot wisely noted, “The greatest proof of silence is the ability to hear it.” In silence, we can find the answers, in what is left unsaid.
ArrowsInk 