The Sound of Silence
Surprised?
Yes, silence is not silent. In each waking hour and each snoozing moment, we are not alone. There continues to exist a buzz of thought bubbles marking its presence in our minds. They bump one upon the another- which neither ceases nor rests. They either rise up towards light or get pressured down towards the depth of darkness, where everything goes on to be...towards an end..or an endless loop.
Thus, minds search now and then for respite from this constant buzz. People practice meditation or yoga, go for a vacation or volunteer. They search for a different sort of sound, the sound of harmony in mind and body. Sought towards reaching a balance of physique or psyche (or both), thereby finding a sense of connection, a sense of conviction i.e. of self. Found so in the sound of silence, that search comes to an eventual conclusion only time can tell.
What we see, might just be the trick of light that hoodwinks the mind. Some words tantalize even the sharpest mind. Time passes in blur and life is exhausted without substance, always spent driven by desires that never get fulfilled. Albeit, to glean the absolute or part of truth hidden between the lines and make it one's own, solemn silence can be the way. A way to that truth, which is bared and simplified to the very essence. Then, we can realize fulfillment in life through such a direction not based on "someone- else's " truth or reality, but one's own.
First, one needs to question. Any question, asked in a social context or personal search for meaning, can advance as a superficial conversation or deep contemplation. In such situations, one needs to gather thoughts, duly question, and wait for a reply. On the other hand, the response requires question comprehension and interpretation, suitable word choice, and then an authentic response. During those moments, a way of effective communication is facilitated by silence. Furthermore, as communication progresses between two or more entities, they fill in the blanks. At the start, permitting each other to have enough time to familiarize the anecdote and then share common ground. Polite silences are the bridge to a social conversation or private monologue. It is the art of companionship, friendly rivalry, and homo-social-cultural dynamics.
If one goes further, in a social scenario say a party when a teenager of few words is in, there is an awkward silence. S/he does not know how to start or continue the conversation when the context is not within his/her knowledge/experience. Perhaps it can be his/her nature or situation or people around in question, yet this awkward silence leads to further silence or flight or fight. S/he may blurt out something like a fight or excuse himself as flight or just lets another talk as he himself is silent. For him, it may be his silent nature, which lets him observe the world of socialite albeit lack of understanding, nonetheless quite educational experience.
When two souls have close-knitted-intimate relationships, words are insufficient/unnecessary. Body language plays a vital role as gesture, look, expressions are so familiar that words are not needed for understanding. Imagine a pristine lake, an ancient pavilion in the very center with the golden-ruby sun about to set on the horizon, the beautiful landscape filled with blue mountains, with only two: you and your loved one... Enjoying the moment in comfortable silence, with an aura of mutual-love, is indeed poignant. Perhaps, it is not a priority to have a spectacular environment. Perhaps, their silence if achieves the harmonious silence, perfect unity of duality despite cacophonous environs, where just a look has enough meaning, it can truly be worth having in life. Then "silence is golden, speech is silver" (- Thomas Carlyle)
Silence facilitates any avid interest. If one pursues education; the light of life, Choosing a suitable field and researching its niche requires deep consideration, motivation, and energy. Thereby, there in silence, the researcher unties the complex knot of information. S/he runs simulations after simulations of what if's to find the most suitable probability to achieve his SMART goals. Also in a profession, as he faces problems he needs silence to contemplate the problem; its nature, structure, and several possible solutions and choose the best out of them.
In 1664, Newton figured out that gravity is the force that draws objects toward each other. As the legend goes, deep in contemplation an apple fell on his head, which amazingly led him to have an epiphany of gravity. In reality, intense focus and creativity are the factors that transcend puny men into mighty giants, on whose shoulder geniuses like Einstein, Tesla, and Hawking stand. With silence, such geniuses toil each day, to discover and invent wonders the world had never seen before. They brought mankind closer and closer to the domain of creation or possible annihilation.
Silence speaks louder than words. During devastating sorrow and tragedy, words are simply insufficient. So, we remain silent to comfort those who are grieving. Words of comfort can only be heard so far by numbed minds. They require the comfort of silence which touches the grieving souls to the very core.
When we remain silent, despite the injustice done by a privileged few too many, it indicates there is something very wrong with the society (or part of it). In other words, the society (local or international) is bereft of imprescriptible rights of man. Silence can be a symbol of protest when words cannot convince those in power. When the voice of rational men and women cannot invoke the righteous feeling of justice and universal love, then the sound of silence (followed by peaceful protest) is the only way to show we care. It can be a way to show respect to the voice of the voiceless. It is powerful when used in the proper way to bring lasting change to the world with solidarity in any humane cause. e.g. "Black Lives Matter"
Well, other than peace, prosperity, and positive change, silence is part of necessary violence and survival. A hunter studies his prey with patience and in silence waits for the perfect moment for the kill. It is how weak wait and prepare to endure in silence, to be strong enough and protect himself from the bully. In silence, the oppressed bid their time and with time gather a large following, gain momentum, and fight for freedom. Freedom comes with a price. It comes with the responsibility and respect towards those who sacrificed their time, life and sweat, in silence. A warrior endures setbacks, hardships, and sufferings in silence so that one day he can bring glory to the legacy of his ancestor on the battlefield. "Silence is the source of great strength" - Lao Tsu
It is easy to lash out but harder to remain silent. For silence is an enduring virtue that resonates with one's humility to one's ignoble existence. Perhaps we need to express ourselves from time to time, but there are also moments when we have to be silent. Especially when we are silent, we are giving someone a chance to express their thoughts out loud. Life is not a straight road, we will meet people who are completely different from all the things that define who we are. Thus conflicts occur. Even when none is at fault, to reconcile, be brave, take your moment and apologize. If they don't want to understand or listen to you, words are not worth it. You cannot wake up the person who pretends to be asleep. Also deciding moments to take sides of "Ye" or "Nay" happens and then it is silence may be the only way to stay neutral. For the sake of maintaining social decorum, silence can be a saving grace.
Theology includes silence in its teaching. It is believed to be a necessary step to deepen the relationship of the devout with his/her god. Considered as one of the virtue especially in Buddhism, monks practice it to train themselves towards the right speeches. They believe a person needs to speak only when it is truly necessary. Words especially harmful words can hurt people, as they are believed to have a life of their own. With right speech, it is believed that we give due respect to words, other people, and ourselves. It is said that respect is earned not given. Thereby earning respect from our own spoken words. Also, what we speak, determines what we think and then what we do. "We are what we speak"
Talking about health, according to Suzzane Kane, " Silence lowers blood pressure, which helps to prevent heart attack and boost body's immune system". A 2013 study found that 2 hours of silence could create new cells in the hippocampus region of the brain. It is the region principally believed to be where long-term memories are made including functions like spatial processing and navigation. (Basically learning and memory) Other than that, silence facilitates relaxation (more so than music) and relief from stress.
Besides, silence is practiced and celebrated in different forms. Fasting, Meditation, Vatra, the Day of Silence, and many more are conducted for different reasons. Human lives are diverse and so is silence. Yet universal in essence, its uniqueness is innate in every form of life.
The reality of human silence is incomparable to non-humans. We can hear sound frequency only from 0dB (threshold) to 120-130 dB. Below and above, there still exists sounds as vital to defining reality as it is as that which limits our understanding of it. Like said in the story of "Blind men and elephant", the reality which we perceive is just a part of the entirety. Reality is beyond the limited human perceptions and thus the sound of "silence" is that part of reality which we may though reluctantly need to accept. It makes us humble and perhaps a little bit more knowledgeable of who we are and the reality that we are in.
"We came into this world with cries of innocence
Yet, must leave with a lifetime of memories, in silence..."
Citation:
Kane, Suzzane "The Hidden Benefits of Silence" Accessed July 21. https://psychcentral.com/blog/the-hidden-benefits-of-silence/
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/speech_is_silver,_silence_is_golden
https://www.lifehack.org/347881/5-reasons-why-silence-source-great-strength#:~:text=Often%20the%20other%20person%20would,silence%20is%20a%20communication%20superpower.%E2%80%9D
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_men_and_an_elephant
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