Evolution of Silence

When did it change. . . when did the search for silence become replaced with empty noise?

It is becoming more apparent to me that there is a void to be filled - a deeper hunger there than once was - or maybe those that came before us are more stalwart in their power to withstand the emptiness. It is in silence though that it becomes visible to the naked soul.

It stands like the gaping maw of a black hole, devouring everything and seeing nothing it lays us out and displays inner feelings and fears as playthings to be used against us. It takes an inner mental strength to fight on, to ignore the emptiness.

I've met few who could revel in silence, they found freedom there - freedom of thought and action - I think it's called Mushin, where everything is done without thought an uninterrupted action without distractions.

For others noise helps keep the silence at bay, for silence brings fear of the unknown that lurks in the darkest corners of our imagination - "Fear is the mind killer", Dune. As long as there is noise the world hasn't ended, and things continue on.

It's rather ironic, but there is a great sense of safety in the attempt to control chaos today. Unlike the hunter traveling in stealth to find food, listening to disturbances in the silence, or the farmer that listening to the sounds of the farm, ready to defend their stock. Many now live on the non-existent silence of land, air and sea traffic continually on the move.

Always doing something, anything. It appears that we have grown used to the noise just as one grows used to the constant roar of a storm that whirls around them - without the storm they are nothing. . .

So devastating is the sound of silence that many can not bear it's weight and will break the silence anyway they can, by any means possible. We have lost the meaning of the old words, "Silence is Golden", for what good is silence if we know not it's value?