Essay: Silence

Rosheen Shoaib

The word “silence derives from “silere” which means to be quiet or still. Silence has deepened its roots in history. In ancient Eastern philosophies, silence was viewed as a threshold to wisdom and enlightenment. Greek philosophers also valued the eloquence of silence, as according to Socrates; “Silence is a profound melody, for those who can hear it above all the noise.” Secundus, also known as the silent philosopher took an oath of silence and refused to break it, even when threatened by the Emperor Hadrian. But later on he agreed to generate the written responses to the emperor’s twenty cosmological and ethical questions. Harpocrates was associated with silence, secrets and confidentiality. He was often depicted as a young boy with his finger to his lips which symbolizes the gesture of silence. Furthermore, silence has a role in religious traditions, it symbolizes a connection with divine. Throughout the history, individuals like Martin Luther and Mahatma Gandhi utilized the power of silence as a form of protest and contemplation. Gandhi’s silent marches and Luther’s strategic pauses in his speeches left enduring marks on tapestry of history.

Silence is a powerful tool that is used to tackle different situations. As there is a saying that silence is a best response to a fool. Even in different protests where a man is not allowed to use words he can convey his ideas by staying silent. George Bernard Shaw says; “Silence is the most perfect expression of scorn.”  Moreover, Molana Jalal ad- Din Rumi, an eminent Persian poet and mystic said whose translation is as follows:

Silence is the sea and speech like the brook;

The sea is seeking you; do not seek the brook.

In the twentieth century, for the first time paintings highlighted the silence. As we can say that art is the silent poetry. Artists take the advantage of silence to convey the controversial ideas. Expressionism was one of the twentieth century art movement devoted to abstract art and twentieth century’s silent language. Many English writers have used the feature of silence in their writings. Virginia Woolf, an English writer or critic, was the first woman novelist in modernity who practiced silence rather than speech. Spaces, gaps or lacunae are also regarded as silence. These lacunae plays a role in giving meaning to a text. 

From silence, an individual can extract different meanings. If a person is silent, you couldn’t be sure about his mood. Studies have found that silence can prompt new cell growth in the brain, improve memory, and relax the brain and body. It helps an individual to stay focused like meditation which acts as an antidote for stress reduction. It forms an individual more creative. Silence is a source of mental peace. Silence is also a tool for communication which helps to convey meanings and express emotions. 

Along with the advantages there are some disadvantages of silence. Prolonged silence can turn into isolation of a person and may lead to misinterpretations in interpersonal relationships. A person won’t be able to express his sentiments towards others while staying silent. It may leads an individual towards shyness and dullness. Too much silence can become a cause of injustice, inequality and societal issues.

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