Is Silence OK?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Meditations by Matthew on October 30, 2008 at 5:13pm

I think silence is great. Like everything else though too much could be... well too much.

I know a lot of people who look at silence as a negative. I think some people are scared to be alone with their thoughts. That is when they should be silent. I actually have a friend have an emotional breakdown because the power went out and they had to be alone with themselves with nothing distracting them from their thoughts.

I was lucky enough to have parents that believed in meditations, crystals and "new age" thought patterns that I have always believed as Gary does that silence is as important because it allows you to deal with you.

Matthew

Permalink Reply by Stephanie on November 3, 2008 at 6:07pm

Hi Matthew
I really didn't expect to get such wonderful replies, and yours is included in my rating. Thanks a lot...I really enjoyed your new age though patterns - remember a fantastic experience in visiting Sedona (I am from LA but live in Italy since quite young)
anyhow, thanks for the stories...and the emotional breakdown - amazing!
Thanks again and I will reflect on your story and thoughts too
Stephanie

Permalink Reply by Stephanie on November 3, 2008 at 6:06pm

What wonderful replies I got from all three of you, and Gary, your words sound very very wise indeed. Thank you.
I am now reflecting on your thoughts and the others.
It helps
Stephanie

Permalink Reply by Stephanie on November 3, 2008 at 6:14pm

Robert
from your photo you look quite young (could be the lighting??) but you have a wise head on your shoulders!
Liked your thoughts immensely, and appreciate the time you wrote all you did. Thank you
I must get back to my computer work here, but really am grateful for your thoughts. Will reflect...
thanks
Stephanie

Permalink Reply by sixsisters on November 3, 2008 at 7:39pm

Hi Stephanie. I don't think we need to fill every moment with sound or talking. I myself find comfort in quiet .
Of course negative silence or passive aggressive silence is not helpful. It takes the life out of families.
We need to teach our children to be quiet and listen to the voice that is in us all just waiting for the silence.

Permalink Reply by Stephanie on November 3, 2008 at 9:38pm

Wow....I am really getting inspired.
Reminds me of a wonderful poem my grandfather used to say
There was an old owl who lived in the oak
the more he heard the less he spoke
the less he spoke the more he heard
now wasn't he a wise old bird.

Good thoughts, sixsisters. Even talking about silence is peaceful, isn't it....

Permalink Reply by Dave Streater on November 6, 2008 at 6:45pm

Silences can be GOLDEN, but only when pressaged with a really well-put point. This applies locally, more widely, and, globally. If something is going (or has gone) down that people need to know about to enhance their (and others- and that's actually equivalent-) well-being (future (=present; another equivalence-in-reality..) well-being, then silence is, "um, ..uh,... ...'golden'..(yeah, right...)..", you might say. That is, in this case silence is really highly pernicious! Anoither way of putting it is, silence is golden if and only if it optimizes action for peace! (and sometimes, when things really come to a head, "peace must be fought for"!)
-the "watchOut-it's all a balance" crowd, among whom sits me, BCDave

ps-I guess you can tell I'm a musician- but silence IS a very important (part!) of music
(the piece consisting of of all silence could only be written once, and upon listrening, gets old real fast!)

Permalink Reply by Ken on December 6, 2008 at 9:36am

Hi Stephanie

I love your grandfathers poem, reminded me of my father as soon as I read it...bless his beautiful soul!!

One says silence is golden but is only golden in the right place at the right time, for some the sound of silence is too loud to bare.

When it comes to silence within a family I may give it a hour at most:), silence is not the key to solving anything in life and I agree communication is the key and is the only way things can be solved. I would find it very hard to live with myself if I lost a family member and my last memory was......SILENCE!! How sad that would be:( There is nothing that can't be overcome when it comes to family, I have seen so many families broken and torn apart over senseless arguments, money, and the greed of material items after ones death and the list can go on and on.

I can honestly say there is nothing on this earth that would ever stand in my way to lose the love of one of my own family members, parents, siblings, children and grandchildren, if you don't have their love you have nothing!! You must cherish family as a gift given to you in life....don't ever throw it away!

Permalink Reply by Christine Quelch on November 4, 2008 at 11:07am

Hello Stephanie,

I know what you are talking about when you mention silence within families.

I’ve had a lot of problems with an older family member who is impossible to talk with. One year, she gave us all a Christmas present of a holiday for the whole extended family – 4 families – at a popular holiday destination. I knew straight away that this holiday was going to be a nightmare. Furthermore, I knew if I dared to say I did not want to accept this present, I would be told how ungrateful and how unco-operative I was. (Not just me, the whole family would be informed of how I was ruining their holiday.)

Eventually I got up the courage to tell this individual I did not want to go on the holiday, but since my children were too young to see what was going on, they were co-opted into agreeing to be a part of the holiday, and they went off without my protection. As it turned out, my daughters all had too much of my attitude to be intimidated, but, all the same, the exercise was intended to rip me off emotionally. Everyone else (other than my children) who went, complained about the entire event, for years !! My children were entertained by the antics of everyone else on the holiday.

Within my family, the silence was deliberately orchestrated, so that my opinion and values were suppressed. It was always done with the intention that only one person would get to make all the decisions. It is a power play.
It is not only families that behave in this way. States and nations do it. The intention is sometimes to avoid democratic decisions, or more often, to avoid sharing resources. In a word: greed.

The other kind of silence that people here have talked about: yes, I know something of this. I need it in order to recover from the excesses of my family !!

Permalink Reply by Sinikka on November 4, 2008 at 11:30am

Shortly ;)
Finnishmen are maybe more silent people? We enjoy of silence.
Sometimes one can TALK and have nothing to say. And then there are few words which will tell everything.
I like to write a lot but I'm not a small talk person at all. Listening is more important, listening between lines and words.

Permalink Reply by Cal-el on November 6, 2008 at 7:31pm

Silence is useful for meditation. Sometimes remaining silent and holding our tongue can promote peace. Being silent hatefully is negative, though. I think soothing music is almost important as silence. The right tones, chords, and message can set our moods. Some music can make people sad, angry, or violent as well, so in choosing both silence and music, it's important that we understand what we are doing and what effect it has upon us and others.

Love, Hope, Peace, & Christ Is With Us All,

Cal-el

Permalink Reply by Stephanie on December 6, 2008 at 1:07am

Thanks for your answer
please check Is Silence Ok for a letter to all
Stephanie

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• Next ›
• Page