Silence

I have never understood the human obsession with noise. I mean I like music as much as anyone, but it seems that no one can simply enjoy the lack of sound. I have noticed that most people cannot handle more than a few moments of absolute quiet without beginning to act uncomfortable. The begin to movie around and interact with the environment or strike a conversation if there is anyone present. But I find myself again and again surprised by how little the human mind can tolerate total quiet. This is proven by how often it was used as a punishment in prisons in the 1800s- early1900's. The reason you do not see this anymore is that it was deemed to inhumane as the extended silence had a tendency to drive prisoners to mind-splitting insanity. I however do not hold this view of the total absence of sound. rather than avoid it like most people do I actively seek it out. To me there is something so beautiful about it. Maybe it is its purity, the fact that sound can be so twisted and chaotic, where as silence is the most pure symbol of order imaginable. There are many times when I will try to find a room in my house where there is no one present, no phones, no electronics, no anything that produces noise and just absorb the quiet. It is not like a meditation, or a time of thinking (although they can become that). It is just sitting there and enjoying the stillness of everything around me. It will be uncomfortable at first, and some of the more energetic and excitable will get bored at first, but I have found that absorbing the silence can become quite the therapeutic and enjoyable experience once you embrace it.