Now that we have more ways of connecting with others than ever before, our world has become noisier. With the rise of social media, everyone can have a voice and most people seem intent on letting the world know exactly what they think and feel, sometimes on a daily basis.
We live in a noisy world
We are bombarded with media generated by both big corporations and lone individuals. In some respects, the internet has been a major step forward in humanity’s development. We can talk to people in every country on almost any topic imaginable, at any hour of the day or night. Anyone can set up a blog, write articles, and contribute to internet forums.
This presents great opportunities for learning about the world, and even forming new relationships with people we could never have encountered a couple of decades ago. On the other hand, we are at risk from information overload. As modern life becomes increasingly focused on self-expression, those of us who understand the importance of stillness and silence enjoy distinct advantages.
The power of silence
When you choose to live life at a lower volume, you and others around you start to benefit in unexpected ways. For a start, you feel much calmer when you take a slower, quieter view of life. You feel as though you have nothing to prove to those around you. You don’t feel compelled to let all your friends, family members and colleagues know every detail of your personal life. This relieves any pressure you might feel to conform to others’ standards or try to compete with them. Those who know how to be quiet are also more likely to find inspiration from unlikely sources.
For example, taking a peaceful walk alone affords you priceless thinking space, which may help you gain more clarity when working through a difficult life problem. Quiet people who have the confidence to reflect before speaking are often perceived as more trustworthy and intelligent, as they give the impression that their thoughts are carefully formulated and not simply the result of knee-jerk reactions.
Listening more and talking less
To embrace the power of quiet means being willing to let others go first in expressing themselves and leading a conversation. When you take a step back and make a conscious decision to listen more than you talk, your whole perspective on relationships and the world in general starts to shift.
You begin to realize that other people’s’ experiences can teach you a great deal, and that if you had kept the focus on you, you would have missed out on their valuable insights. Listening is a gesture of respect. In giving other people the chance to air their views, you are demonstrating that you hold them in high esteem and that they are worthy of time and attention. In our fast-paced and increasingly competitive world, this may be one of the most valuable gifts you can give. Many people feel stressed, under-appreciated and anxious about trying to live up to various standards imposed upon them by the media and by society at large.
When you offer them a space in which they can share what is on their minds and offer them psychological support, they may well feel respected for the first time in a long while. For this reason, those who know when to remain quiet often enjoy high-quality relationships. They feel secure enough in themselves that they don’t need to talk about their personal lives and opinions. They can allow other people the space to be themselves, and accept that everyone has their own stories to tell.
