How much does silence say?

Of all the forms of language and expression that a person has to communicate, the least reliable is speech. So, let the silence begin…

Lying is as simple as using one word instead of another and giving it a value that it shouldn’t have. That easy. There are those who lie more than they talk.

And of course, there are those who do not want to lie. But, focusing on the sincerity of the message, To lie or not to lie is a decision, as a general rule.

Gesture language

What happens, for example, with gestural language? I mean the uncontrolled. The one who is so difficult to hide.

A bad look when someone does something you completely disagree with. Or a situation that invites you to smile inevitably and sincerely. Or sweating in uncomfortable or stressful situations.

The change from the natural color to a more reddish one when someone has the pleasure of being complimented… Of course, everyone’s response is different. It varies in intensity, duration or nuances.

But, what these responses have in common is that they are spontaneous, they are difficult to repress and therefore have more truth if you want to know a reaction.

Silence

And what about the silence? Is it not, perhaps, the maximum expression of inexpressiveness and at the same time the most revealing? In my opinion, yes. When someone wants something, it may take them a while to discover it, to assume it, or to go for it.

But sooner or later, if you want something you end up expressing it. And from the first moment there are indications that this is the case, even if they are not totally clear. I think that when the opposite happens, when something is not wanted or needed, that is when a feeling is most evident.

Hatred and rejection manifest themselves in a clearer way, with much more force. Without embellishments, a simple silence is often more implacable. Silence sends a clearer message than a long speech with countless stopping points.

Silence says no or it says yes, but it says it with more force, because it does not allow itself to be adorned by anything. More than granting, silence sentences. And silence is the answer, of course.

It’s not absence, it’s just that he doesn’t let anything get close to him. He doesn’t let you escape. When you don’t have an answer, silence makes your lack evident. In other places like China it is better valued.

Here it’s almost an offense, we need to fill it with whatever. “Keep speaking for god, lest he understand you.” It all depends on the question, mind you. But if it hurts more than an insult hurts, it is because it produces a certain indifference. And being alive, the last thing anyone wants is to have a minute of silence dedicated to them. Don’t even ask them, please.

Silence and breathing

Breathe in silence. Breathe in solitude. Fundamental activity to survive the current maelstrom. Introspection. Bombarded by information for most of the day, silence becomes our best friend. Disconnecting our mind from everything and staying silent is our salvation.

Let us take refuge in breathing in silence to avoid being contaminated. Pablo d’Ors, Spanish priest and writer, tells us that “without silence there is no interiority.” And it is so necessary to be with ourselves that we should be with ourselves for at least an hour a day. In absolute silence for one hour a day, without reading, without sending messages, without music, without TV… Decontaminating ourselves.

Image courtesy of Alexander Kuznetsov and Gary Warren