To live fully is not just to speak, act, or consume — but to pause, to listen, to reflect
Silence is not empty; it is full of answers. It holds space for healing, thinking, remembering, and dreaming
By Abdullah Usman Morai | Sweden
In a world that thrives on noise — loud opinions, buzzing devices, notifications, engines, rushing routines — silence has become one of the most underrated and overlooked experiences. We often fear it, avoid it, or fill it up quickly with distractions. Yet silence is not a void. It is a space, a sanctuary, where the soul rests and the truth begins to surface.
Silence is where clarity lives. It’s in the quiet moments that we hear our truest thoughts, feel our deepest emotions, and encounter the essence of who we really are. It can soothe pain, illuminate confusion, and speak louder than a thousand words. If we lived more attuned to quietness, what might we discover about ourselves, about others, and about the world?
But silence is more than personal. It holds cultural, spiritual, social, and even political weight. It can be gentle or powerful, healing or harmful. It can be a choice or a consequence.
This article invites you to explore silence not just as a lack of sound, but as a presence, a force, a teacher. Through its many dimensions, we’ll ask: What does silence mean in our lives, and what does it reveal about us?
Silence as Inner Peace
Silence isn’t just the absence of sound. It is the presence of something deeper — a sacred stillness that gives us space to breathe, reflect, and reconnect with ourselves. In moments of silence, we are not required to perform or explain. We just ‘are’.
Mental health experts suggest that silence reduces stress and increases mindfulness. Silence helps us process emotions, declutter the mind, and listen to our inner voice — a voice that’s often drowned in daily noise. Have we ever asked ourselves: When was the last time I sat in complete silence, without reaching for my phone or turning on a screen?
Silence in Communication
Silence can be louder than speech. It can speak volumes in a conversation, offering empathy, disagreement, or distance. Sometimes, a pause says more than a paragraph. When used intentionally, silence is a powerful tool in relationships, allowing space for listening, reflection, and presence.
But silence can also be misinterpreted. It can feel like rejection or emotional withdrawal if not communicated with care. That raises a key question: *Do we understand the difference between choosing silence and being silenced?*
Spiritual and Cultural Dimensions of Silence
In nearly every spiritual tradition, silence is considered sacred. From the meditation halls of Buddhist monasteries to the quiet moments in Sufi zikr, silence serves as a doorway to the divine. It strips away noise so that we may hear the soul, or something greater than the soul.
Different cultures approach silence differently. In some societies, silence is respect; in others, it may be discomfort. Exploring this reveals that silence isn’t empty — it’s filled with cultural meaning and personal intention.
Silence as Strength or Complicity
There are moments when silence is strength — when it calms a storm or protects dignity. But there are also times when silence enables harm, such as staying quiet in the face of injustice, cruelty, or discrimination.
*Is silence always peaceful?* No. Sometimes, it’s painful. Sometimes, it’s cowardice. Knowing *when* to stay silent and *when* to speak up is one of life’s most challenging and moral dilemmas.
The Silence of Nature
Stand beneath tall trees or by the edge of a still lake, and you’ll hear a kind of silence that vibrates with life. This natural quietness — unforced, unfiltered — restores what the world takes away. It reminds us we are part of something ancient and vast. That silence, untouched by human ambition, can be the most healing of all.
Silence in the Digital Age
We live in an era of relentless noise — a constant stream of alerts, updates, and opinions. In this climate, silence can feel awkward, or even threatening. Many people are now afraid of silence, not because it is unpleasant, but because it confronts them with themselves.
But the deeper question remains: “Without silence, how do we know what we truly think or feel?” Silence is essential for self-knowledge. Without it, we may live reactively, rather than intentionally.
Embracing the Sound of Silence
To live fully is not just to speak, act, or consume — but to pause, to listen, to reflect. Silence is not empty; it is full of answers. It holds space for healing, thinking, remembering, and dreaming.
As we rush through our 36,500 days on this planet (if we are lucky to live 100 years), how many will we spend in meaningful silence?
Let us, then, not be afraid of silence, but welcome it as a friend. In the noise of life, may we all find our quiet corner where truth whispers and peace begins.
Read: Living or Merely Surviving?
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Abdullah Soomro, penname Abdullah Usman Morai, hailing from Moro town of Sindh, province of Pakistan, is based in Stockholm Sweden. Currently he is working as Groundwater Engineer in Stockholm Sweden. He did BE (Agriculture) from Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam and MSc water systems technology from KTH Stockholm Sweden as well as MSc Management from Stockholm University. Beside this he also did masters in journalism and economics from Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur Mirs, Sindh. He is author of a travelogue book named ‘Musafatoon’. His second book is in process. He writes articles from time to time. A frequent traveler, he also does podcast on YouTube with channel name: VASJE Podcast.
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