It is said that a man can watch three things endlessly: how the fire burns, how the water flows, and how another man works.
Silence is a vital part of life if exercised frequently. Yet, it has become a terrifying predicament. The modern world is not just loud, it’s deafening. In all this noise we can’t hear our own thoughts keeping our hearts a mystery. We say "I don’t know", "I need to find myself", "It’s complicated", and other ambiguous declarations of our ignorance while we bizarrely fall victims of social media manipulation. We consciously numb ourselves with an endless sea of distractions; whatever it takes to gag the internal voice whispering "responsibility and courage". When one dares to confess their desire for quietness he is immediately scolded or asked if everything is "fine".
Everything is definitely not fine. We have lost sight of what is meaningful and settled for the shallow and the expedient. Noise has become a sign of things working. A random notification assures us that we still matter. Intense Friday nights are a healthy activity whereas waking up early on a Saturday morning is miserable and depressing. Hiking alone in the woods is now considered creepy but nightclubs and hookup culture are empowering. All of this is fed by an increasing desire to fit in. The busier and louder we are the more we are seen, and the more we are seen the more we are celebrated. The soul is sick and man has become prideful. If only we just unplugged. Seems that mom was right all along: it’s this damn phone.
The power of silence is a phrase very often associated with manipulation tactics or behavioural tricks. My goal is not to discuss how to employ the so-called "silence treatment" in a business meeting, a bargain, or during a fight with your spouse. The silence I wish to speak about is the one associated with the purity of the world, the connection with nature, and the harmony between the natural and the man-made. Even the tiniest details can be appreciated fully when one knows how to watch and listen.
The silence of the lamps
When I lived in Slovenia, I used to go for a hike every weekend. I switched from lakes and rivers, to forests and rocky landscapes. Slovenian nature is unparalleled when it comes to variety of landscape. The thick forests completely absorbed my insignificant presence and my soul was filled with the scent of damped soil and wet leaves. The sound of the river whispered half-formed thoughts while the crisp air filled my lungs with the purest kind of oxygen. The pupils of my eyes were in total focus; nothing escaped, not even the young buck hopping energetically to my noisy human footing. It was the first time I ever saw deer; a tear ran down my cheek. I was alone. My phone was in my side pocket and turned on only when I lost track of the signs, which happened rarely.
This was part of my life back in 2022. Now, it’s been nearly a year since I last went on a hike and the effects are clearer than ever.
Back then I used to have an extremely sensitive and focused vision; nothing would escape my field of view and my eyes were as sharp as ever. A bird's movement would catch my eye almost as fast as a leaf that blown away by the wind. I wish I could say nothing's changed. A regression of sorts occurred in my relationship with the world. As the frequency of my traveling and hiking decreased, so did my susceptibility to the tiny details of life. I stopped appreciating the shape of the clouds, the smell of the wind, the trunks of the trees with their detailed patterns, or the ripples in the water running through the city's small canals.
The more detached I got from the harmonious quietness of the natural world, the more I assimilated to the noisy landscape of modern society. I am determined to get it all back.
There is a moment after the sun sets when all the lamps of the city are lighted. It signifies an end, but also a beginning. In about two hours the streets will be filled with youngsters causing an intense but somewhat pleasing to the ears commotion. Until then the city is ripe for the taking. I've had countless of walks during that hour; I've visited dim lit churches, cobblestone streets with low-hanging lamps, open squares when the lamplight contrasts the dark hues of the evening sky. It requires certain humility to gaze upward and truly comprehend that we are but a tiny life form blessed with the gift of consciousness. Man's nature is revealed in gratitude and worship. In silence he can exercise both.
For, in fact, what is man in nature? A Nothing in comparison with the Infinite, an All in comparison with the Nothing, a mean between nothing and everything. Since he is infinitely removed from comprehending the extremes, the end of things and their beginning are hopelessly hidden from him in an impenetrable secret; he is equally incapable of seeing the Nothing from which he was made, and the Infinite in which he is swallowed up.
— Blaise Pascal, Pensées
Make silence your best friend
To say that humanity in the modern age is addicted to technology would be an understatement. Imagine what would happen if the internet went out for a day. That is 24 whole hours. No emails, no social media, no YouTube, no streaming. Despite the massive inconvenience, stemming from our increasing reliance on machines that are themselves subject to deterioration, the effect on our psychology would be devastating.
To put it bluntly, we have very few things to do that are not a distraction or are meant to cause a stimulus. Even when we decide to cut back on some we still rely heavily on technology. Too many of us fear of missing out on all the stuff going on around us that we don't realize we are chasing our own tails. Modern society is mad and on the run, and it won't stop unless we give up chasing after it.
A few easy habits to get accustomed to a silent existence are listed below. In order to exercise these habits the phone must remain deactivated. Disclaimer: although some require some mental effort and active thinking, they can still be classified as silent when compared to the sensory overload caused by the constant use of electronic devices.
Go for a walk
Go for a run
Go for a hike
Pray
Go to church and sit in silence
Turn off all notifications on your phone
Avoid using headphones when walking
Avoid using headphones when riding a bike
No background music when working
No background music when reading
Sit on a bench and just watch people walk by
Always carry a book
Always carry a notebook
Observe how the rain falls
Observe how the fire burns a candle
Observe how the wind blows
Be still and let your gaze wander
The courage of the unconformed
Engaging in all this will be met with resistance, as is the natural response of the herd when one sheep starts making its own path. People will push and judge and comment and disapprove. Do you really care? If there is something very wrong with the world, and deep down you know that's the case, then you also know what you must do.
Practicing silence is one of the most easily accessible ways to start your journey towards unconformity. Meaning does not exist in fancy distractions and toxic desires. By nature, all things ephemeral are bound to disintegrate in time. By making yourself subservient to them you tie your fate with that of the world. The infinite, however, resides in the silent beauty of nature and man. The deeper the silence, the greater the depths of consciousness explored.
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Practicing silence and solitude as a spiritual discipline is changing my life. Amazing piece; your depth of insight on this is inspiring!
In the modern age we definite suffer from noise pollution. There is a reason why the ancients believed in the art of meditation. I‘ve once heard the act of perusing social media described as a “passive action”, to which I agree—we allow it to inundate us unguarded. Even when walking outside, one still has to rise and analyze one’s surroundings. This was an interesting piece to read, and it gives me all the more encouragement to take a long stroll tomorrow with the autumn foliage!