Examples of Silence – Both the Positive and Negative Impacts
Silence can nurture or deteriorate your personal growth – it depends on how you use it. Here are some examples of silence that highlight both the negative and positive impacts.
Negative Examples of Silence
In her book, The Mother of all Questions, Rebecca Solnit includes an essay on silence.
Solnit’s word for constructive silence is quiet. She describes silence as destructive when it shuts down a person’s value and prevents others from speaking up or giving voice to their credibility.
Solnit speaks powerfully against the damaging kinds of silence. This silence limits one’s right to self-determination and one’s right to full participation in society. These wounds imposed on others go deep.
Silence is also damaging when it is a roadblock to communication.
It can be harmful when silence is oppressive or intimidating. We are injured by shaming or controlling silence. This silence is destructive to our relationships and our communities.
Positive Examples of Silence
A quiet silence happens in a nurturing and safe environment.
Silence in relationships is about fostering empathy, dispelling fear, and lifting a heavy heart. In our spirituality, silence can provide inner peace, gratitude, and blessing. Among our community, positive aspects of silence include compassion, solidarity, and connection.
Silence is constructive when we use it to retreat from the noise and move toward tranquility.
Silence can still a racing mind, quiet a restless heart, and relax a stress-filled body. Choosing to leverage this stillness can offer introspection and empowerment. This silence is more about expansion and less about contraction.
Your Turn
What other examples, negative or positive, would you add?