![]() Similarly, how often do you pause for a moment, either to catch your breath or for dramatic effect, only to have someone jump in and take over the conversation? Have you ever been the person who jumped in and hijacked the conversation? I know I have, and even today do so, on occasion.Īnd that is just one way to misunderstand or misuse silence. There are plenty of quotes about communication, but this is one of my favorites: “ The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” How often do you end up having a longer discussion after having acted after a discussion you misunderstood? Without that understanding, it will be hard to understand any of the rest. This quote isn’t about hoping people understand what you mean when you are giving them the ‘silent treatment.’ Instead, I believe that this quote is urging us to pay attention to the silence, and to understand how it is part of communication. The space between paragraphs is another form of silence. Timing in comedy is all about manipulating silence and integrating it into the routine. Thus we have such terms as ‘Dramatic Pause’ and a ‘Pregnant Silence’ and so many more. Without the basic knowledge of silence, how can they truly understand what you say? Some may not know any better, others may be in love with the sound of their own voice, and a few are actually afraid of the silence. Yet there are people who seem oblivious to the need or appropriateness of silence, and keep on talking. There are plenty of other times when silence is useful or appropriate. There are times when words would take away from the focus or effort at hand, and silence is the appropriate alternative. There are times when simply being is sufficient, and words would be inappropriate, and silence is appropriate. There are times when words are simply taking up space and not providing anything useful, and silence is simply the best possible alternative. There are times when word won’t say what you feel, and silence is the appropriate alternative. ![]() There are, as mentioned before, many times when silence is appropriate. If you do not understand the need for silence, your ability to understand the other times is questionable. We all have times when we are silent, and times when we are not. To understand the silence of a person, it is helpful to understand the person. Without the rests, without the silence, there is no pause, there is no reflection. The quote states that if a person cannot understand your silence, how will they properly understand your words when you do speak? Silence is as much a part of communication as rests are a part of music. There are times when there are no words, and times when silence is the most appropriate thing to say. But silence often speaks louder than words.Īnd I’m not talking only about the so called ‘silent treatment,’ although it fits this quote. ![]() Sometimes it’s in the library, other times it is at home. If they don’t understand silence, what else are they missing? How much silence is there here? It looks like two are talking, a third is gesturing, and the fourth has their back to us.
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