Thursday, October 16, 2008
A Moment of Silence
Rustle rustle, brush, squeak, earch, creak, cough…sigh. These are the sounds of silence. A room full of people just sitting. If you were to enter an auditorium sized building to find members of all ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds, sitting in a circle together completely quiet, would it make you uncomfortable? Why? Because society has taught us that it is socially unacceptable to remain quiet when surrounded by your peers. You are considered an outcast, an undesirable entity, if you do not converse with those around you; weather they are your closest friends, neighbors, family, or complete strangers, you must put yourself and your opinions out there for them to judge with little to no forethought. If society puts so much value on what individuals say, why don’t we give them more time to formulate their thoughts before we judge them? Would this not give us a truer estimate of their values and opinions?
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2 comments:
I think you have made an interesting point that reflects the one-sided nature of our society. For example, we have the expression "awkward silence," but there's no counter expression like "awkward loudness" or "awkward too-much-talking-with-people-I-don't-know-what-to-talk-about-with." And it's true, you do feel out of place and isolated in a large room when you're the only one not talking.
i really like this! It's a good hook and really illustrates the atmosphere
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