Silence

 Silence means the absence of noise or sound. The word   has been interpreted differently by different people and culture.  According to cultural norms silence could be positive or negative. In spirituality the inner stillness or the silence within is considered of high value. This inner stillness means to be in contact with the divine.    It is also believed that to be silent is better when one does not know the answer because he who does not know how to be silent will not know how to speak. A good listener is a good speaker and one can only be a good listener when he/she knows the benefits of being silent at the places required. Walter Begehot once said, “An inability to stay quiet is one of the most conspicuous failings of Mankind.” The people in modern scenario consider themselves superior to others and think that they will be defeated if they keep quiet at a particular instance and it hurts their ego too. A famous thinker said " Soon silence will have passed into legend." Man has turned his back on silence. Day after day he invents machines and devices that increase noise and distract humanity from the essence of life, rumination and meditation. The noises coming from industries and motors strengthens man’s ego. His anxiety dies down. His insensate void spreads heinously like gray vegetation.

 Silence has all the qualities that are required for a peaceful life, but when it comes to one’s duties and rights then keeping silence is not worthwhile. Being silent at the places where our self respect and dignity is concerned, is not admirable. Silence reduces the distance between the two hearts but at the same place it increases the aloofness too. Therefore when to be silent and when to be provocative depends on the situation and one should make use of his/her own commonsense.