Silence is golden

There is great power and wisdom in growing to the point where silence becomes our friend. It is in silence that we best listen and a great portion of life’s best secrets can only be learned in silence.

Silence: the lack of audible sound or presence of sounds of very low intensity can also refer to any absence of communications including in media other than speech, also a metaphor for inner stillness and spiritual enlightment and inner growth.

“He who does not understand your silence will probably not understand your words”. –Elbert Hubbard

May I offer you a penny for your thoughts they often ask the quiet ones that dare not speak, but why is it that, people often find that there must be something 'wrong' with them? Why cant they just be left alone, don’t they know that you will often find that the wisest of men are the silent ones. Why such a need for speech?

People are often afraid of those awkward silences and would say just about anything to avoid those moments, this can frequently be seen at dinner dates or group gatherings where no one knows each other.

There will always be the joker, the entertainer that will attract large groups of people to entertain for the night, call them “fans” if you will. People will often say that he is so out-going and a real people person, but how much of that is really true, maybe just an act to cover –up his insecurities. Many actors claim to be shy and introverted, but in character they are people of great self-confidence and self-esteem. Pythagoras once said: Be silent or let thy words be worth more than silence.

Valuating silence leads to a deeper connection with ourselves. It is through silence and listening that we truly understand each other and ourselves and it seems that it is what our world needs today. Only when you are silent you truly get to know what thoughts are going through your mind at what time and why. Take the time to break down your thoughts and ask yourself why and what I am feeling and thinking. When do you have silence in your life? Are you maybe just desperate to be heard?

The quieter you become the more you can hear, we are often silent with those whom we love best, it is because we are sensitive to their whole personality, face, texture of soul and body, that we are living with them not only in the present, but enriched, modified by all they have said before, by everything remaining in our memory as theirs. People often think of a million different things when busy in a conversation, while the person is talking, thoughts wonder everywhere, often thinking about the response, is it clever enough or  am I going to sound stupid if I say it or should I just smile and change the subject or maybe just say this instead of that, without ever really listening to what the person is trying to say, we often realize too late that we in fact missed half the conversation. How often do you get interrupted when you busy with a conversation? Can you give someone the gift of listening by being silent?

“In the silent of the heart God speaks. If you face God in prayer and silence, God will speak to you. Souls of prayer are souls of great silence”. – Mother Theresa. Many religions use meditation as ways to englightment and inner growth, we often learn the most about ourselves when we are silent. It gives us the feeling of inner peace and tranquility. In philosophy ‘self-knowledge’ commonly refers to knowledge of one’s particular mental states, including one’s beliefs, desires and sensations. To know thy-self, this type of knowledge can only be obtained through hours of deep introspection and reflection.  There is nothing more powerful than self-knowledge. “There are times when silence has the loudest voice”. – Leroy Brownlow

People often try to run away from the past and often they fear silence more than anything. Alone or lonely- it is a matter of courting silence or not.