On silence
IN GENERAL, when we speak, we silence others. That is why during the second Philippine presidential debates in Cebu on Sunday, it was difficult to hear what one candidate was saying when another candidate or the moderators would speak at the same time. The candidates reminded each other that it was their time to speak, or to wait for their turn to speak.
Of course, all four candidates, Vice President Binay, Mayor Duterte, Senator Poe and Secretary Roxas, kept interrupting each other. It was good Senator Santiago was not there.
It was of course good to hear from the Philippine presidential candidates. We could pick up some reasons for voting or not voting for anyone of them. As I said, it is a development in our Philippine elections that the presidential candidates are willing to debate in public. Apparently the last presidential debate on television was last held in 1992 on TV 5.
The quality or substance of the debate is certainly another thing. It turns out there may be nothing new that came out of the Sunday debate. We already knew the issues about each candidate from the media. What showed were the candidates’ attitudes and demeanor.
Debates are certainly no time for silence. It is just a matter of taking turns and following certain rules. There is a time to speak and there should be a time to be silent and to listen.
It is said that silence is golden, and that “silent waters run deep.” Some singers say they prepare for performances by minimizing talking if not keeping completely silence. In one conference there was a Chinese scholar who pontificated about silence as an important value and virtue espoused by Confucius. The ambience of traditional Chinese parks and gardens seem to encourage meditation and silence.
The profound thing about silence is that it could be very meaningful. If you are given a silent treatment, it may mean there could be something wrong with you, or with the silent person, or with the situation. It may be that you are being accused of doing something, or that your presence is not recognized for certain reasons. It could be a yes or a no. It could also be a sign of respect/disrespect, or willingness to listen. In the movie Deadpool, a youthful character was described as producing only two things: a long, sullen silence, or a nasty comment.
This week could be a time for some silence. Many people will use the holidays for meditation, to connect to their spirituality, or humanity.
We have come to a point when we think we need to fill every second with sound or noise. Some people are afraid of or uncomfortable with silence, they need to keep talking. We turn on the radio or TV even if we are not really fully attending to them. We just want to have some sound on the background. We need to company of noise.
Silence allows us to rest our vocal chords, or ears. Silence also enables us to listen. This week, let us try to have some silence.