I like silence. I enjoy the silence. A peaceful, silent, natural environment is something that lifts me up and gives me energy. It is a recharge. Like meditation, silence brings me back to, and in touch with myself. Too much and too loud noises around me makes me feel uncomfortable, not being able to maintain my energy level. In fact it drains the energy right out of me.
As long as I can remember I have been avoiding places that are too noisy for me: If it’s not strictly necessary for me to be there, I’d rather be somewhere else, in a place without the noise. My rule of thumb is: if it’s too noisy to be able to hear my own inner voice, it’s way too loud for me.
Not everyone is the same. Some people are just the opposite. They can’t stand a silent environment. They need a constant wall of sound surrounding them: Music in the car, TV (even if they don’t watch it), music while working, jogging, etc. They just don’t like silence. They don’t enjoy silence. They feel uncomfortable with it. They are addicted to noise, even if this means they have to make it themselves.
Whatever you preference is; a silent environment, or a more noisy environment, finding a silent environment is a challenge in today’s society. As human beings, we have become accustomed to noise. Especially if we live in a city: Traffic, construction sites, other people talking. Real silence is difficult to find.
We are so conditioned to noise that we use music in places that are too silent for our own comfort, being afraid to be overwhelmed by our own inner voices. We play music in elevators, music in our cars, music in shops and restaurants. We load our MP3 players with our favorite tracks; playing them too loud, trying to keep out all the other the noises from outside.
Now this isn’t a post against making noise or playing music. In fact I like music. I’m a huge fan of jazz and other styles and often go to concerts. I have plenty of music at home and on my Ipod. The difference is I don’t play music all the time. I am not addicted to it. It is not essential. I can live without it.
I enjoy the silence. It’s the silence that is essential. It’s the silence that brings me closer to myself, to my authentic self.
