vows of silence

[wasabi_poptart]

More and more I've been thinking about how wonderful it would be to not have to talk, ever. I know this isn't feasible, not outside a monastery, but it's something I'd like to try. I'd like to speak only when I absolutely had to, like when responding to a direct question (but only if I felt like answering it), or when giving specifically solicited advice (but only if I felt inclined to give it). I'd like to say something only when I had something important to say. I'd like to hoard my words like a miser clutching pennies, only spending them grudgingly when I absolutely had to.

The more sparingly words are used, the more meaning each one has. It's a matter of economics, really.

Comments

[alexeye.livejournal.com]

have you seen into great silence? it's been sitting atop my dvd player for at least two weeks now.

[wasabi-poptart.livejournal.com]

no ... it's going in the queue

[blue-lotus.livejournal.com]

When I talk less, I find the obsessive need to write more.

[applehangover.livejournal.com]

Last year I spent a lot of time working with nonverbal folks. Then I got switched to another position where the people were way TOO verbal. It hit me like a ton of bricks- with the gift of speech comes gossip, accusations, cattiness, blame, lies and bullshit.

Made me think a lot more about the gift of speech and what comes out of MY mouth.


PS- Now I'm at a job where most of the folks use nonverbal communication. You know who starts the shit almost every time? The TALKERS!

[mrliburyin.livejournal.com]

This is a half-formed thought that may only be tangentially related, but if I ever actually get a black belt in aikido and am asked to teach a class, I want to do one with no talking. Almost all aikido lessons I have taken involve way too much talking and explaining at the expense of time spent on doing. Once I had an instructor forbid speaking during class, insisting that people pick up things by watching others and paying attention to how certain techniques felt. I was very bad at picking things up, but I was enthralled with the idea of it (maybe because it is such a challenge for me) and really want to try it again.

And in my Havurah, there is one person who has lead services which were almost entirely silent meditations. The leader spoke a little at the beginning to introduce the concept, and maybe added a sentence or two to transition from one meditation to the next, but other than that the service was without words. He asked us to maintain silence through the community meal afterwards as well.

So maybe there are some specific situations where you could put this concept into practice that don't involve joining a monastery. Like when you are at work maybe?