In our society, it is increasingly difficult to find moments of true silence. Silence is defined as an absence of sound, but I have some issues with this definition. Communication has expanded to non-verbal means,and a conversation can occur without either party uttering a single word. While this exchange may adhere to the dictionary definition of silence, is it a true silence? Should we change our notion of silence in order to better fit the increasingly technology based world around us? I think so. Silence has no longer become solely based on sound, but has expanded to communication in general. This current limited definition of silence does not address many forms of communication, that may adhere to the traditional definition of silence, make a sound all their own.
In my own experience with silence, I struggled with the the fact that even if I never heard a noise, I could still communicate with others. This caused me to reflect on the nature of silence, and come to the conclusion that society needs to broaden this definition. I found that the only times I experienced “true silence,” as I have referred to previously, were times that I was completely isolated from the outside world. This included putting my electronics away rather than just removing myself from sources of sound, as the denotation suggests.
As a society, we have the power to change our language as we see necessary, and this is a necessary change. Often we are hesitant to make changes to precedent, but in this case it is as necessary to change our definition of silence as it once was to change the definition of computer. Until we understand silence as it exists in our world today, many will not experience a “true silence” and will not receive the mental and physical health benefits from such (source). By changing this definition, we are acknowledging and addressing the technological advancements made that expand our definition of communication. Otherwise, how can we partake in silence if we do not truly understand the meaning?
I really like that the article you linked to specifies some of the benefits that come from practicing silence. I do not think that the responsibility lies on society as a whole to modify the definition of silence to exclude technological communication; I think that this is ultimately on the individual to define for themselves, and that the difficulty in establishing a new definition of silence for yourself comes from not knowing what you are trying to gain from your silence exercise. I have always associated silence with doing some other activity away from everyone else, like reading a book or playing Solitaire on my phone. But after doing my own silence exercise, I have realized that the silence which allows you to experience heightened awareness, increased self-awareness, and some of the other benefits mentioned in that article also requires a definition which excludes all of the extra brain activity which is introduced from these other activities, and distracts you from observing yourself and your surroundings.
ReplyDeleteEveryone benefits from silence in their own way, but the problem is that most people don't take the time to define silence for themselves because they do not realize the importance of intentionally practicing it often. If exploring silence became a more common practice in society, I think the definition would start changing on its own.
This is such an interesting perspective on the role of silence within our society! I agree, technology often acts as a roadblock to attaining 'true silence.' In fact, when I look at my younger siblings' attachment to technology, in addition to their (complete) disregard for any absence of sound, I can not help but think that the two are intertwined. As a society we continue to glorify our advancements in technology, specifically advancements in how we are able to communicate with one another. I feel that we are quickly progressing towards a world where speaking to communicate with one another will be strange and outdated. What do you think this means for the definition of silence, or even the experience of 'true silence?'
ReplyDeleteGoing back to the definition that you gave for silence, "an absence of sound," I find that attaining silence was nearly impossible for me to do then. Like yourself, I attempted to remove myself from all things external when practicing silence. However, there was never a time I was able to completely remove myself from the internal sound. Even when silence enabled me to attain a ubiquitous state of calm, there was always a flare of mental noise when the external distractions had been cleared away. As Megan alluded, it is important for a definition to be instilled in order to realize a thing. So, if I choose to define silence as you have, do you think that I was successful in practicing "true silence?"
This is a really interesting perspective that I hadn't thought of when practicing this activity. I know that when I prepared for the activity, I made sure everything around me was quite. I closed the door and kicked my cat out of my room. I didn't however, ever turn off my phone, not even when we all sat in silence in class. It really brings home that idea of true silence.
DeleteI think that the external noise that comes from technology is part of our small mind. If we do not fully cut ourselves off from this noise, we cannot truly achieve silence.
I have to say on a final note, I think it's really amazing that you were able to tie this idea back to technology. I think that in our tech centric lives we forget that technology is not a true extension of ourselves. It seems to me that to truly know ourselves we have to learn who we are without technology.
Your thoughts reminded me of an author I read years ago, who I think brings a valuable perspective to this conversation. Eckhart Tolle has written multiple books and lectured across the country, but one quote that really sums the notion I would like to point out is:
ReplyDelete"To listen to the silence, wherever you are, is an easy and direct way of becoming present. Even if there is noise, there is always some silence underneath and in between the sounds. Listening to the silence immediately creates stillness inside you."
In his perspective, silence is an ever-present principle of our experience. Most of the time we are not aware of it because it is incredibly subtle in contrast to the noisy buzz of modern life. Yet if we choose to become aware of it, instantly there is a sense of peace. In the next moment our awareness might be drawn back to the cacophony happening in and around us; audible noises, visual distractions, physical sensations, associative thinking, etc. Yet the silence is always there if one goes looking, and the more frequently you look for it, the closer to conscious awareness it feels in every moment.
I am all for taking time to experience silence and solitude as described in the article you linked to, the listed benefits alone are enough to make me want to disappear into the mountains right in this very moment. Yet I have also come to understand over the years that learning to be aware of silence only in solitude, when there is true physical silence and minimized distraction, is akin to achieving enlightenment in a vacuum. Everyone is a yogi on the mat. The real question is: how much can you bring back to the life you live most hours of the day?
Silence becomes even harder to achieve when I consider how busy my mind is. Even when my mouth is closed, and no one else is around, sometimes my headspace is far from ‘silent.’ You say it is a language change, and I agree. But in broader terms, I think what is needed is a cultural change. There is little room in modern American culture for stillness. Relaxation and rest is not appreciated, and even looked down upon. We have come to embody the people in Einstein’s Dreams rushing around at all times, never once standing still. I believe appreciating smaller moments and taking time for ourselves are a good place to start, but it will be a difficult journey ahead. As you mentioned, the technological revolution will make this transition all the more difficult.
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