Do you like silence, or do you find it uncomfortable?
I like it. I like it a lot. There’s this guy named John Zerzan who put it like this – civilization is a conspiracy of noise designed to cover up the uncomfortable silences. But not everyone finds them uncomfortable – the noise might be what’s uncomfortable. I hate noise. Flashing lights, screeching sirens, churning of machines, countless feet walking down graded pavement, doors opening and closing, water dripping from faucets. It’s all so mechanical and arbitrary. Where are we all going in such a hurry? Just lay back in the river and let the current pull you along. It’s more peaceful that way. Let the birds sing their songs, the water babble around you, the wind sweep the leaves, and the sky open up overhead with the distant roar of far up gales that push the clouds. It’s more peaceful that way. Make no noise at all and just listen. Don’t think a thought and just listen and drift down the river. That’s what I’m doing today if it doesn’t storm. I need a vacation from all this stupid noise.
15 comments
I like silence, except when I’m with someone and feel an obligation to make conversation. Then it does make me uncomfortable.
I love silence! anyways at times, I maybe OCD or something? I really can’t stand the TV on and a radio playing! it really annoys me! I can’t stand nervous people hitting things, tapping their feet! They drive me nuts! I LOVE SILENCE! Except when I do something I think is great like cooking and ask everyone what they think and nobody say’s nothing! Enjoy your day rivets! 🙂
escapism of the mind. i wish i could press a pause button to suspend brain functioning. that is my idea of a vacation.
Silence is Golden.
That river doesn’t sound like true silence, rivets.
Absolute quiet I despise. But yeah I can sit outside long enough for the chipmunks and groundhogs to feel they’re alone and come out, not spook the birds.
Silence is just the unforced sounds of the world, not the rushed sounds of hurried activity for no good or real reason.
I agree. In silence you can find authenticity.
Do I like silence. Well it depends. If I’m around nature I love it. It’s so peaceful. But any other time. I hate it. It allows my thoughts to wander….And that’s never good. Lol
I think this is funny! 🙂
https://youtu.be/zPdzBu7N5pE
I think he’s stoned lol
“And I looked upon the characters of the rock, and they were changed –and the characters were SILENCE. And mine eyes fell upon the countenance of the man, and his countenance was wan with terror. And, hurriedly, he raised his head from his hand, and stood forth upon the rock, and listened. But there was no voice throughout the vast illimitable desert, and the characters upon the rock were SILENCE. And the man shuddered, and turned his face away, and fled afar off, and I beheld him no more.”
-Edgar Allan Poe, “Silence”
The problem with silence (although I totally agree with your theory that humankind has engineered a “conspiracy of noise” and I love that phrase) is that silence tends to amplify the thoughts in our own minds.
If you’re a happy, well-adjusted person who is content with your own thoughts, then silence is pure bliss.
Unfortunately if your mind contains as many demons, if not more, as the real world, then silence will only focus more of your thoughts on those demonic whispers and turn them into shrieks.
Thus the conspiracy of noise is explained. The human mind is riddled with demons and we all need some type of noise to drown out the terrors that Poe talked about. So society engineered a collective noise based on its machines and money and commercial jingles for Denham’s Dentrifice. Ideally noise should come in the form of nature, birds and bubbling rivers like you mentioned. But if you don’t have access to those things every minute of the day, the noise of society, just as well as the silence of your empty room, might just drive you to hang yourself.
well stated, and totally relatable.
I just focus on what’s around me as intently as possible and all the noise drowns out – provided there is no static around me to break the spell. It’s kind of jarring when an old jalopy rolls down the road. I guess my problem’s never been too many demons in my head so much as too many demons in the world around me.
I love the quiet sound of nature. That sounds like a perfect day to me rivets! Human sounds annoy me. Television is the worst.
Nature is sound I appreciate, definitely.
Otherwise, the sound of turning pages of a book and nothing more is an excellent hideaway.