Speech Is Silver But Silence Is Golden

[carver]

I interpret Foggy's message a being a remark about people's inability to respect and value silence; the people who hate to be alone and always have the TV or radio on from the moment they walk in the house. I doubt many of us pipe smokers tend to be that way though as, at least for me, pipe smoking stimulates reflection.

I wanted to bounce off a post on the "What are you listening ?" thread but I assumed that it wasn't the place there.
I've been living in China here for 5 years and it has struck like never before. Most of us can't face silence. Silence means having to face oneself. Silence means having thoughts, and for some of us, these thoughts might be way too noisy in our minds.

It goes even further here. Imagine organising a trip with the colleagues in your medium sized company. 50 people on a big bus.

No way you're going to have a quiet trip. Here, they will hire a "bus entertainer" who will, as soon as the bus pulls in traffic, pick up the mic and just not shut up for as long as the travel lasts. 2 hours of chat, jokes, games, just non stop. And of course, it has to be at the loudest volume setting possible, otherwise, it wouldn't be "really" fun.
I love music, I listen to many things and I love to have the stereo blast something out of its speakers once in a while. I listen to classical music very frequently. But I also love listening to absolutely nothing.
To me silence is an amazing way to relax, it actually brings peace and quiet. Which, as I am writing this, seems to be to most common and mundane thing to say. "Silence brings quiet". However when we want quiet, we put our kids in front of a noisy TV.

There is a weird mechanism here.

One wants quiet and peace, one has to avoid thinking. right ? "give them phones, TVs, TV shows, reality TV, etc. etc., they'll e super quiet, buy all our stuff and never, ever think !"
EDIT: posted this thread in the wrong category. Apologies, can someone move it ? Cheers, sorry again.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I have 3 children. Silence is the most amazing thing ever.

 

[jackswilling]

Generally, I prefer silence, solitude, and nature.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Generally, I prefer silence, solitude, and nature.

+1000

 

[sablebrush52]

I enjoy spending time with my friends and my son, going to see plays, films, or concerts. I spend most of my time, these days, in quiet solitude, working at various creative projects. I love the solitude. A career as a working artist, spanning more than 50 years, wouldn't have been possible without the comfort and refreshment of solitude and quiet.
Meditation is just relaxing and breathing, letting the thoughts flow in and out as they will, until the mind quiets and the noise abates. Painting, Photography, and hiking are an active meditation for me.

 

[macaroon]

I am outgoing a significant portion of the time, but even more often a bit of solitude brings me a great deal of contentment. Playing music, going out to the woods to watch the birds or hike about, or even plopping down with a book or my computer all serve as an escape from the hurry and tight scheduling of everyday student life. And it just so happens that a pipe frequently makes a perfect inanimate companion on such solitary ventures. It's easy to spend over an hour wandering around with my binoculars and a pipe, simply observing the world around me. Sablebrush described it well; the experience is very meditative.

 

[iamn8]

I'm on the complete other end of the spectrum. I require constant input, whether it be television, movies, a book, podcasts, radio, music... whatever. Stick me alone in a silent room and I spiral downward. I'm a curious guy and have many questions in need of answering. I'm pretty much always multitasking. It's common for me to be reading, surfing, and watching tv/movies simultaneously. I've spent a vast amount of time alone, likely far more than anyone you know. Alone I can handle, but solitude? Not so much. I require 24/7 input. I can't even sleep without listening to podcasts as I drift off.

 

[pagan]

My garage is my shop/man cave and when Im in there its "MY TIME" and as quiet or noisy as I want, my retreat

 

[ssjones]

I love music, and it accompanies me nearly in every task that I do. But, in the morning or late evening, out on the patio, I just love listening to nature.

 

[tobaccojoe]

Walking through the woods, on as long of a hike as I can muster, is the perfect aural landscape to me.

 

[carver]

A bit of debate here, as the OP mentioned, would you say that society tends to avoid silence ?

 

[derfatdutchman]

Silence my old friend. I had a visit with him last night, sitting on the deck the flicker of a candle the smoke of my pipe drifting silently in the night air. I find that times of silence are very necessary to decompress and clear the mind.

 

[brian64]

A bit of debate here, as the OP mentioned, would you say that society tends to avoid silence ?

Yes, because as you alluded to in the OP, it's all about avoiding thinking. Silence helps to cultivate conscious awareness, and the powers that be have a vested interest in preventing that by keeping the masses constantly distracted.
Human attention span is now shorter than a goldfish’s: study
http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/human-attention-span-shorter-goldfish-study-article-1.2223541

 

[hextor]

since I was a small kid, I have always loved the music of nature, and the calm quietness it provides, my family and my wife family are a close nit family, they are very, very loud, especially with all the kids yelling and screaming, sometimes i tend to go to the porch, or into my room and i do things that require silence, like drawing, writing, practice on my guitar, when i have those moments It does feel so refreshing, sometimes they don't get it, they think i am crazy for seeking moments of solitude, but hey i love it and it makes me more of a man with patience.

 

[carver]

@hextor: ever tried to communicate to your family? Share that with them?

 

[warren]

I'm a bit like Nate. I need the input, whether in the back country where silence is usually an alert or the city where certain noises provide the same function. I want the the constant feedback of ambient noise. So, music, TV and radio are primarily for the house, sparingly. I'm always listening for the noises which are odd or, those which do not belong and are out of place.

 

[dottiewarden]

I want the the constant feedback of ambient noise.

If I'm driving an old car I prefer to listen to it run so any unusual sound could be noticed immediately.

 

[carver]

I noticed something quite similar with meals. Eating silently, which is extremely rare but has happened, on my own decision, has made me "feel" my food very differently. I seemed to enjoy it more.

You know, I was single at the time, I had just finished preparing my dinner, put it on the table and, instead of reading a book/turning on the TV/listening to music or whatnot, I decided to do nothing of the kind and focus solely on the stuff that is nourishing me, the thing that is keeping me alive, the thing without which one can't really live.

My thoughts at this specific time was some kind of "we should have respect for the food we eat, not take it for granted, and that kind of things.
And much to my surprise, I had a very different eating experience than what I usually did. Discerning flavours that I wouldn't even think of had I kept my mind busy with other things. Very interesting experience.
Same with pipe smoking. Should I keep my brain quiet and the pipe experience is much stronger, vivid and rich, should I keep my mind busy, and half of what makes a good bowl good would totally elude me.
Just my $1/50.

 

[deathmetal]

Stick me alone in a silent room and I spiral downward.

Try a point halfway between:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn6lfljADKs

 

[mawnansmiff]

I can't help but wonder if the folks who need constant interaction with other folks or some other permanent 'noise' going on around them are not happy with themselves or with being in their own company.
I would regard myself a gregarious person but I'm also a picky person when it comes to company. The person or persons I choose to be with have to meet certain criteria else I would rather not be with them.
I am very happy in my own company and I often am. I can go days without seeing or speaking to another soul and that is how I like it to be. I have my own small library (largely made up of antique dictionaries and the like) that I can delve into at will so I will never get bored.
Living in a small rural village my background sounds are generally pleasant ones. Birds twittering in the trees, the bell ringing on the hour (I live next to the village church), the sound of the village blacksmith striking his anvil, all very bucolic. The views from my windows are of pretty 15c. thatched cottages scattered about, fields full of barley and daffodils. All these things together give me peace.
On the other hand I do occasionally like a bit of noise and then it might be some Led Zeppelin or Joe Bonamassa blasting out at 120 watts...much to the chagrin of my neighbours.
The common denominator in all of this of course is the pipe. I enjoy all of the above that little better with just a bowl of Condor for company ::
Regards,
Jay.