Silence

Silence is the sleep that nourishes wisdom. -Francis Bacon

Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence. -Leonardo da Vinci

We are so rarely in the presence of silence, by choice and by the reality of our world. We rob ourselves of the great depths of learning with music in our ears non-stop. Even at the check-out, the workers have an earbud in, hindering their interest in interacting with customers I think... keeping their mind entertained. We share something that isn't self absorbed when we share the same sounds.

Children and adults listen to all manner of things on their phone or tablet. TVs are on for "white noise" in many homes. The most dangerous I think though, is the earbud. It shuts us off from the world, and we struggle so much with self absorption. I'm not saying to never use them, but when alone in a room or outdoors, that's not necessarily the time. 

How is this changing us as a race, all this noise? 

I feel that children need quiet and time to get bored. Creativity blossoms in that environment. Our bodies and minds settle when we aren't being stimulated externally. It's not just diet that matters, but also personal lifestyle choices. 

Adults need to model how to be still and thoughtful, but we also need to be still and thoughtful. 

I find myself returning to not listening to music as much as I started to recently. Talk radio ceased when Rush died. There's something I feel is very important in quiet.