Silence... do you love it or hate it? Either way it's an interesting topic to consider since we are all certain to encounter it during our lives.
The dictionary definition of silence talks about the absence of sound; stillness; a time without speech or noise or a refusal or failure to speak out - so it seems there are many types of silence. We cannot assume that silence means stillness and peacefulness. Can you remember a time when you were annoyed but knew it was the right thing to do to be silent?
It seeems that many people choose against everyday opportunities for silence. Look around next time you take the bus and see how many people around you are plugged in to some kind of electronic gadget. Do you turn on the radio or tv or play music as a habit rather than when you want to listen to it. What is the effect of this on you?
The amsusing part of this level of distraction is that so many holiday destinations are marketed on the basis of their tranquil or peaceful locations, undisturbed beaches and so on. Yet we can have this traquility for free by switching off the noise around us. We can always switch it back on again, but in the meantime do you ever wonder what your experience of silence is really like?
I would be interested to know how you get on if you decide to experiment with this. Let me know and maybe we can develop your experiences in further articles. Contact me in confidence at info@psyche.ie or via the contact page on my website at www.psyche.ie
