Preview

The Power of Silence

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
779 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Power of Silence
The Power of Silence Silence by definition, is the absence of something. Most often it is the absence of sound but on occasion, silence is used to describe inaction. As a part of everyday life we can find comfort in it, wallow in it or even flee from it. For centuries silence has marked as many ceasefires as it has quiet times before storms. When wielded properly, silence can be a potent driver for change. How silence has affected me is when my cousin and I were at my grandparent’s house, where my cousin broke an antique vase. In this case, one way or another, my silence was beneficial to both of us. Practicing silence allows others to attempt to read your thoughts, is a form of communication and empowers the self.
Silence conveys messages to other people and allows them to try to read your thoughts without verbal communication. People that communicate with silence may convey that they are so angry that they refuse to respect the other person. When my cousin broke the vase and was questioned about what happened, he immediately put the blame on me. He gave no thought to any other consequences such us the future of our friendship or personal guilt. I remained silent which was interpreted as accepting the guilt to my grandparents and complete shock from my cousin, who lied to save himself from trouble. He had expected me to retaliate which I did not do. My loving grandparents told me that I was old enough to take responsibility for my actions and pay for the cost of the vase. The continued silence, on my part, sent the message that I had accepted the punishment and complied to pay for the vase. Silence can also send a message to others that you are intentionally being uncooperative, defiant or distant.
Silence is a universal form of communication and can be used to express emotion and help us connect with the people around us. Silence is easy to understand and is interpreted based on expression, attitudes and actions. When I was blamed for breaking the vase,

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Communitcation Unit

    • 1175 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Communication is at the centre of life. Communication is necessary to; seeking information, express your feelings and judging people’s moods, to develop yourself or to help others, to share ideas and thoughts. Without any communication there wouldn’t be any development or progression. Although body language and visible signs like crying can show the emotion of a particular person, communication is also vital in portraying exactly what someone is feeling. Without communication a person would not be able to say if they were sad or worried about something. Communication is commonly done through these ways; talking, hearing, touching and seeing.…

    • 1175 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Noises are what you hear every day with the sense of sound and use of your ears. It brings a buzz to the atmosphere and varies depending on a person's emotions and current situation. It can be either loud or quiet, relevant or just general gossip but whatever its context, noise is everywhere. In a negative situation it can be defined as unwanted sounds that are a waste of energy. When a person lives in the city or a big town, outdoor noise is one of the many facts of life that they are made to go through with. Noise is something that is always around in some form even if it isn’t always noticeable or clear. It is often seen as being better than silence since it encourages people to build in confidence and verbal skills. Noise if an effective form of communication as it helps people to get on with their daily lives and shows clear evidence of happiness between two people. Noise comes from various sounds. Sounds are a type of energy made from a vibration. It is what people rely on to communicate. Unexpected noises are usually to make a person aware of upcoming danger. Furthermore, general noise can tell us a lot about our surroundings. It can generate from both people and objects. Noise comes in the form of speech or uncontrollable noises such as snoring and burping from people and in objects the noises usually come from reactions or…

    • 480 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    We also use communication to express our emotions like courage, fear, happiness, sorrow, satisfaction or disappointment using gestures and words to express how they feel. Children and young people, communication is crucial for developing positive relationship with other children, family members and for future socialising.…

    • 997 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The silent treatment is a method that some people use in order to make others feel powerless, invisible, intimidated, insignificant, “dissed”, looked down on, disapproved of, guilty, frustrated, and even angry.…

    • 1130 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    People communicate as a tool to survive, to make their wants and needs become apparent to others. Communication is needed in various situations such as fear, hunger, pain, discomfort, happiness and sorrow.…

    • 641 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Since we were toddlers, we have been told to “use our words.” Even at a young age we are taught that speech is highly valuable when attempting to achieve a positive reaction. Throughout history, this has appeared to be true in some way or another, but what happens when this system breaks down? In Octavia Butler’s “Speech Sounds,” she depicts a society suffering from the loss of ability to speak, write, or both which causes the people to revert to animalistic means of expression, thus breaking down the atmosphere of community. Although Rye and Obsidian are able to form a connection without verbal or written communication, their rare and brief relationship reveals the instability of their society at large. This instability further proves that…

    • 1162 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    I am not bothered by silence. For all the noise I make with my friends, I am still not comfortable talking about my feelings in front of others-- especially not classmates. I could sit in the quiet for hours if that is what the class demanded.…

    • 568 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The interpretation of the silence upon meeting Quint in the staircase as “ dead silence”, but, the visual world around her appears to be unaffected which she related to the encounter being unnatural. When Quint disappears into silence alludes to the idea that the dead dwell in a realm without sound. Thus marking silence being related to the unnatural and unloving. Without this silence, the governess would have thought Quint was a living being, to due to real nature he presented on the…

    • 1027 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The Muted Group Theory

    • 1494 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The following example shows how it applied to the muted group theory, in culture, and language through nonverbal communication. A woman whom did not state her name was physically used for sex while on a date. Later, she told herself she was okay and did not tell anybody. This woman did not want to tell anyone because of the fact that she did not want to believe she was raped. As she caused physical harm to herself by cutting her wrist, and not telling anybody she performed a form of nonverbal communication. Shortly after her parents found the scars on her wrist the next step for her was being sent to the hospital to get physical and psychological help. Many of the actions and secrets that were talked about in this story have a direct relation to this theory because of what has taken place. Also, this shows that the male in this specific case in the story overpowered the woman and her language by disrespecting her wishes not to be…

    • 1494 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Nonverbal Communication

    • 973 Words
    • 4 Pages

    in which they are giving you the silent treatment, that silence can bring on other emotions between the two parties.…

    • 973 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    It is very important that we interact with our surroundings and people living in the surroundings. Whenever we talk to someone, we, unknowingly or unknowingly, react to his/her questions, actions or comments. This is communication. While corresponding to someone in any way, we are actually communicating. Healthy communication is essential for a healthy society.…

    • 598 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    fhfghfhfg

    • 888 Words
    • 4 Pages

    This form of communication is extremely private and restricted to ourselves. It includes the silent conversations we have with ourselves, wherein we juggle roles between the sender and receiver who are processing our thoughts and actions. This process of communication when analyzed can either be conveyed verbally to someone or stay confined as thoughts.…

    • 888 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Communication can also provide reassurance and comfort, it can help to diffuse situations, and it is also used to offer encouragement.…

    • 326 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Shc 31 1.1

    • 812 Words
    • 4 Pages

    A persons behaviour can be a form of communication. If that person was quieter than normal it may represent sadness. This is not always an actuate way to communicate with others as many people do not outwardly express their emotions, or they change depending whom they are with.…

    • 812 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    horoscope 2014 chinese

    • 729 Words
    • 3 Pages

    While we think of communication strictly as sharing information by talking, writing, or body language, we forget that sometimes we communicate without any outward expression at all, through actions and even thoughts.…

    • 729 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays