The Art of Shutting the Fuck Up

"Why do we feel it's necessary to yak about bullshit in order to be comfortable?"

In social situations, there is often pressure to maintain a continuous flow of conversation to avoid awkward silences that could send one or both parties spiraling into an overthinking nightmare. Silence is often seen as rude or intimidating. There is an unspoken expectation that to be accepted in a social group, a certain amount of oversharing and verbal vulnerability needs to occur to build connection and bonding.

"That's when you know you've found somebody special. When you can just shut the fuck up for a minute and comfortably share silence." - Mia Wallace

Sometimes silence is the best answer. The preferred answer.

The outside world demands words. Work requires active conversation, school requires responding and participating. Finding individuals to vibe in silence with is golden.

It's okay when there is nothing left to say because the physical company is enough. No need to overthink because both parties are in agreement that silence is part of the relationship. It's not seen as rude or intimidating when the conversation dies and neither makes an effort to pick it back up again because there is a mutual understanding that is what is needed at the moment.

For example, I can be the most outgoing talkative person, but I can also go hours without saying a word and it doesn't mean I am in a bad mood or upset, I just feel like being quiet. People who understand that are my kind of people.

Silence only sucks when you are afraid of your head.

The world fears silence. We have our music, social media, and television to fill the void if the conversation falters or god forbid we are left alone.

Constant distractions protect us from spiraling down the rabbit hole of our thoughts.

If an individual is uncomfortable spending time in their head and being alone sounds like a special kind of hell, then silence is their worst enemy.

Mastering the art of silence with others is one thing. Mastering the art of silence when you are alone is quite another.

Being silent with someone still entails the comfort of knowing the person is there. You are not completely alone with your thoughts.

Making time to BE, simply exist, alone and in silence can be challenging.

In Deepak Chopra's The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, Chopra describes the Law of Pure Potentiality as a law based on our pure consciousness. Pure consciousness is pure potentiality that is ultimately the field of infinite possibilities and creativity. Successful manifestation flows freely from this place.

Chopra instructs to gain pure consciousness and achieve pure potentiality, one must take time each day to be silent. This is to be practiced by sitting alone in silent meditation and taking time out each day to consciously not speak. Chopra recommends 2 hours of silence, but for many of us that is ridiculously hard to achieve, so he recommends breaking it into more manageable chunks i.e. 10, 20, or 30-minute increments of silence.

Considering this philosophy of existing, many of us are blocking our blessings by committing to a world of noise.

Not only is a lack of silence hindering deep-rooted relationships with others, but it is also hindering a deep-rooted relationship with self, which is by far the most important relationship.

In conclusion,

The introverts might be on to something.