Some months ago, I had the delightful opportunity to read Susan Cain's book, "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't
Stop Talking". This book, although quite appealing to me because of its discussion of introverts, is also on my favorite list simply because of its title. I sometimes find myself longing for "Quiet"... in a world that has forgotten the meaning of the word.
We have made a noisy world. In the daily course of life, we are inundated with noise, surrounded by it, immersed in it. I would even posit that we are oppressed by it.
When you visit the store, there are flat screens that detect your presence and fire up commercials to talk to you as you walk by... at the gas pumps outside, there are commercials and upsells being pushed in a loud, obnoxious voice from the 'entertainment station' hanging off the gas pump. The drive through lanes at the bank are feeding video Soma through the screens that are also used by your teller.
And don't get me started on the assault by music. Large speakers in fast food drive through lanes blast music at your driver side window, the water parks are blaring music at such a volume that it is almost impossible to read a book in a beach chair, which is a time-honored summer tradition.
TV shows, movies, video games... they are all launched at us with a secondary armament payload of wearying noise.
I do realize that I'm in the minority here. Most people want to be entertained, and that often, in their book, includes audio and video. And here am I, one of a shrinking breed that will often read the news item on the web without *ever* clicking the video feed at the top of the article. I don't need to watch the video... I just read the story.
As a general rule, we have forgotten the power of quiet. The healing, therapeutic touch of contemplation and just thinking, sans noise. For those of Christian faith, to do so is a command. Be still. For others, it is simply just a really, really good idea to try every now and then.
But for the sake of intellectual honesty, I realize it won't change... the world is not going to get quieter just because I want it to... and thus this post is reduced, in essence, to curmudgeonly complaint. In other words, even I am guilty, at the moment, of generating useless noise... signifying nothing.
Stop Talking". This book, although quite appealing to me because of its discussion of introverts, is also on my favorite list simply because of its title. I sometimes find myself longing for "Quiet"... in a world that has forgotten the meaning of the word.We have made a noisy world. In the daily course of life, we are inundated with noise, surrounded by it, immersed in it. I would even posit that we are oppressed by it.
When you visit the store, there are flat screens that detect your presence and fire up commercials to talk to you as you walk by... at the gas pumps outside, there are commercials and upsells being pushed in a loud, obnoxious voice from the 'entertainment station' hanging off the gas pump. The drive through lanes at the bank are feeding video Soma through the screens that are also used by your teller.
And don't get me started on the assault by music. Large speakers in fast food drive through lanes blast music at your driver side window, the water parks are blaring music at such a volume that it is almost impossible to read a book in a beach chair, which is a time-honored summer tradition.
TV shows, movies, video games... they are all launched at us with a secondary armament payload of wearying noise.
I do realize that I'm in the minority here. Most people want to be entertained, and that often, in their book, includes audio and video. And here am I, one of a shrinking breed that will often read the news item on the web without *ever* clicking the video feed at the top of the article. I don't need to watch the video... I just read the story.
As a general rule, we have forgotten the power of quiet. The healing, therapeutic touch of contemplation and just thinking, sans noise. For those of Christian faith, to do so is a command. Be still. For others, it is simply just a really, really good idea to try every now and then.
But for the sake of intellectual honesty, I realize it won't change... the world is not going to get quieter just because I want it to... and thus this post is reduced, in essence, to curmudgeonly complaint. In other words, even I am guilty, at the moment, of generating useless noise... signifying nothing.
