Deep Breathing And Silence Is Sometimes Better

They say that silence is the art that nurtures wisdom, so sometimes there is no choice but to use it to respond well to something, not to carry on with conversations and things that are not worth it. Taking a deep breath and being silent is sometimes better and at times the best choice we can make.

It is curious how significant progress in the healing process is seen in the patient ‘s silence by those who have worked in psychotherapy for many years. To many, this will seem somewhat contradictory, as the therapy relies heavily on the exchange of words. The medium is thus the dialogue that acts as an energy that confronts, deepens, awakens and reconstructs.

However, that sudden silence, in which someone shuts up and breathes for a moment, is often a crucial moment. It is the moment when a person reflects on his emotions, when he realizes something he was not aware of until then. It is also the moment when the person is more than ever focused on harmonizing their thoughts and emotions, leaving the past aside in order to really focus on the present moment.

Silence sometimes acts as the awakening of the conscience, and that is something special. Not only does it help us handle conversations or certain situations better, it’s also a channel where we can connect with ourselves and stop ‘doing’ for a moment, to simply ‘be’.

So we are dealing with a subject that has interesting nuances and curious aspects, which can be of great help from day to day. We invite you to delve into the many aspects of silence and the art of silence.

Mental noise, the noise that envelops and devours us

We live in a noise culture. And we’re not talking about the noise in our environment, the constant hum of traffic, the perpetual hum of factories or the reverberation of big cities that never go to sleep. We’re talking about mental noise, that noise of conflicting emotions. A mental cacophony that not only causes us to stop listening to those we have in front of us, but also often leads us not to listen to ourselves.

We are influenced by a form of communication where the enthusiastic voice, which screams and does not pause, is the one that triumphs. We see it in our politicians, we see it in many meetings at work, where someone who shuts up is immediately labeled as someone who is not very determined or as someone without charisma. Indeed, essayist and journalist George Michelsen Foy has conducted a study to show that a person who pauses before answering is viewed with suspicion or suspicion in Western culture.

Conversations often consist of words and expressions that do not pass through an appropriate mental or emotional filter. We forget that mastery of language and speech is a form of intellectual art, where silence is often a necessary transition point.

Let’s stop, at least for a moment, to meet each other. It is necessary to pause for a moment to see and feel the other. Let’s understand that there is nothing wrong with taking a breath and being silent in the middle of a conversation. Sometimes silence is better. Maybe what we say after that break is the solution to the problem or the key to saving our relationship.

Silence is sometimes better, but it can also be a punishment

George Bernard Shaw said that “silence is the most perfect expression of contempt.” So we have to be very careful about how we use silence, how we apply it, according to the situation and the people we are dealing with. So far we have made it clear that the use of silence is a perfect tool to manage our own emotions, to focus on the here and now and thus give a better answer or a more appropriate response.

The entrepreneur, researcher and teacher Luis Castellanos also talks about this subject in his book ‘La cienca del lenguaje positivo’. Silence is a pause for ourselves. Silence is something that is necessary, for example, when we go home from work and we are about to come home. Something as simple as taking a deep breath and being silent for a few seconds can take the pressure and tension out of that other context, because we shouldn’t be taking it home with us.

Now what’s good to keep in mind is that silence can often act as an indicator of the quality of our personal relationships. They are words that educate, they are words that heal and those that help us build bridges, root and consolidate our bonds through positive, empathetic and accessible language.

Therefore it should be very clear that silence is not a positive punishment for a child, that every wrong act, naughtiness or nonsense cannot be solved by silence or by sending him to the solitude of his room. This often only feeds the anger. In these cases, communication is essential, essential for changing behaviour, acknowledging mistakes and offering help to improve.

So let’s make good use of silence. Let’s make it our palace of tranquility, where we can meet ourselves, where we can harmonize emotions, where we can calm our minds and where we can find the best answer and the most beautiful word for the most needy moment.