Humans are probably the most talkative species on this planet. I was walking through the park in the evening the other day, and I noticed that only those people, who are walking alone, are staying quiet. Take a few minutes to observe your surroundings, and you'll notice that silence between humans is rarely an option. We fill the air with words and laughter, often not because we have something meaningful to say, but because we are afraid of the alternative, which is an awkward silence.
But why is it awkward? In nature, silence is a common thing. You can often see animals coexisting in companionable quiet, but for us being silent is something of a taboo, when we are in the company.
When was the last time you saw two or more people together who were just...being? Just doing anything, simply existing together, without filling the air with the noise.
Are we so centered on ourselves and our thoughts, that we feel compelled to constantly share them? An untold rule says that silence between people must be filled with something, literally anything, or it becomes uncomfortable. "To fill the void," so to say. When I choose to be quieter, people around me start focusing on feeling that void, as though silence is a problem which needs to be solved.
I find silence natural with someone, who makes me feel comfortable and safe. Silence is a connection as well, a quiet understanding, that doesn't need to be voiced. Yet society has trained us to see silence as a disinterest or some tension. Thus we label it "awkward silence," as if it's something to be avoided at all costs. But is it silence which is so awkward, or is it the insecurity we feel in our relationships, that nagging worry that without constant chatter, our connection might dissolve? Are we so used to the pressure to perform and always be interesting, funny and clever in the conversation?
In nature much of the communication is non-verbal. Eye contact, body language or simple act of sitting together in a quiet companionship. There is no need to speak, no pressure to impress.
Should we relearn the value of silence?
