Silence

[mamza]

Ever feel like you just have nothing to say? Often times I find myself wanting to speak and make small talk or something only to realize that I have nothing to say. Then I just sit quietly for generous periods of time.

Like there's a point you want to make but you know words won't ever touch it so you give up trying for a while. Sooner or later you try again though. Then you give up again. Back and forth, back and forth.

[lemongrass]

I like to troll people online here and there. That requires talking.

[question]

Apr 19, 2012 3:19:58 GMT -5 mamza said:

Like there's a point you want to make but you know words won't ever touch it...

Oooh, that's a good teaser. Tell us more!

Btw, who wants to know what I think about people who talk about silence and stillness?

[lemongrass]

Art? Poetry? Dancing? There are many forms of expression.....

[sherry]

Apr 19, 2012 3:19:58 GMT -5 mamza said:

Ever feel like you just have nothing to say? Often times I find myself wanting to speak and make small talk or something only to realize that I have nothing to say. Then I just sit quietly for generous periods of time.

Like there's a point you want to make but you know words won't ever touch it so you give up trying for a while. Sooner or later you try again though. Then you give up again. Back and forth, back and forth.

yes, I can really relate to that feeling, mamza

it has evolved a bit
for most of life, ego-censoring/ridicule kept me tongue-tied

now there is an abundant quiet feeling much of the time with no need to speak and a certainty that it's mostly meaningless...

when words come, they are more gentle and seem to flow
knowing that the receiver will take from them what he will
no more and no less
knowing that the giving and receiving are the same and
can be done in silence too


silence is like a balm

[Deleted]

Apr 19, 2012 3:19:58 GMT -5 mamza said:

Ever feel like you just have nothing to say? Often times I find myself wanting to speak and make small talk or something only to realize that I have nothing to say. Then I just sit quietly for generous periods of time.

Like there's a point you want to make but you know words won't ever touch it so you give up trying for a while. Sooner or later you try again though. Then you give up again. Back and forth, back and forth.

I think it's taken me about 40 years to get back to the place of being okay with having nothing to say. It's not widely-regarded as a winning social strategy, and winning social strategies are one of the things that are hopefully learned. Methinks my own social anxiety largely stems from a lack of acceptance of having-nothing-to-say. Good riddance.

[mamza]

It always makes me feel a little sad. Or blank. Not stillness or spiritual blank or whatever, just kinda like a deaf, dumb, and blind rock.

It makes me want to say something to somehow make things better, but it always seems pointless to do that. So I just sit through it until it goes away.

Also, let it be known that I'm talking about literal silence.

[relinquish]

Apr 19, 2012 13:54:32 GMT -5 mamza said:

It always makes me feel a little sad. Or blank. Not stillness or spiritual blank or whatever, just kinda like a deaf, dumb, and blind rock.

It makes me want to say something to somehow make things better, but it always seems pointless to do that. So I just sit through it until it goes away.

Also, let it be known that I'm talking about literal silence.

The cool thing about silence is that no noise, no matter how loud, can possibly remove it.

That means it never 'goes away'. We just get distracted again.

[Beingist]

Apr 19, 2012 3:55:46 GMT -5 question said:

Apr 19, 2012 3:19:58 GMT -5 mamza said:

Like there's a point you want to make but you know words won't ever touch it...

Oooh, that's a good teaser. Tell us more!

Btw, who wants to know what I think about people who talk about silence and stillness?

Actually, peeps seem to want to talk more about enigma and question than silence and stillness.

[Beingist]

Apr 19, 2012 3:19:58 GMT -5 mamza said:

Ever feel like you just have nothing to say? Often times I find myself wanting to speak and make small talk or something only to realize that I have nothing to say. Then I just sit quietly for generous periods of time.

Like there's a point you want to make but you know words won't ever touch it so you give up trying for a while. Sooner or later you try again though. Then you give up again. Back and forth, back and forth.

I can relate. I used to sit in silence (or, well, mostly silence--my ears still rang) for stretches, myself.

Then, I realized that the silence is all on the inside, regardless of what's happening on the outside. I could be standing in the middle of the freeway, and enjoy inner silence.

In fact, I'm enjoying that inner silence as I write these words, and listen to Booker T. and M.G.s

[lemongrass]

Apr 19, 2012 22:36:30 GMT -5 Beingist said:

Apr 19, 2012 3:55:46 GMT -5 question said:

Oooh, that's a good teaser. Tell us more!

Btw, who wants to know what I think about people who talk about silence and stillness?

Actually, peeps seem to want to talk more about enigma and question than silence and stillness.

lol

[enigma]

Apr 19, 2012 22:40:33 GMT -5 Beingist said:

Apr 19, 2012 3:19:58 GMT -5 mamza said:

Ever feel like you just have nothing to say? Often times I find myself wanting to speak and make small talk or something only to realize that I have nothing to say. Then I just sit quietly for generous periods of time.

Like there's a point you want to make but you know words won't ever touch it so you give up trying for a while. Sooner or later you try again though. Then you give up again. Back and forth, back and forth.

I can relate. I used to sit in silence (or, well, mostly silence--my ears still rang) for stretches, myself.

Then, I realized that the silence is all on the inside, regardless of what's happening on the outside. I could be standing in the middle of the freeway, and enjoy inner silence.

Well, at least until you turn into road kill. ;D

[silence]

Interesting article about the quietest place on earth.
games.yahoo.com/blogs/unplugged/quietest-place-earth-mutes-sounds-messes-head-212556719.html

"What they've found is that when all outside noise is removed from an enclosure, human hearing will do its best to find something to listen to. In a room where almost 100% of sound is muted, people begin to hear things like their own heartbeat at a greatly amplified volume. As the minutes tick by in absolute quiet, the human mind begins to lose its grip, causing test subjects to hallucinate."

[Deleted]

Apr 20, 2012 8:49:21 GMT -5 silence said:

Interesting article about the quietest place on earth.
games.yahoo.com/blogs/unplugged/quietest-place-earth-mutes-sounds-messes-head-212556719.html

"What they've found is that when all outside noise is removed from an enclosure, human hearing will do its best to find something to listen to. In a room where almost 100% of sound is muted, people begin to hear things like their own heartbeat at a greatly amplified volume. As the minutes tick by in absolute quiet, the human mind begins to lose its grip, causing test subjects to hallucinate."

yes and as someone quipped, it explains the universe -- basically there is silence, then insanity is manifested.

[Deleted]

Apr 19, 2012 13:54:32 GMT -5 mamza said:

It always makes me feel a little sad. Or blank. Not stillness or spiritual blank or whatever, just kinda like a deaf, dumb, and blind rock.

It makes me want to say something to somehow make things better, but it always seems pointless to do that. So I just sit through it until it goes away.

Also, let it be known that I'm talking about literal silence.

I carbon freeze han solo with that.