The Sound Of Silence
It so happens that this song just popped onto my CD player, and it seemed appropriate for my crackerjack philosophy of the day.
There is no silence.
Not true silence, that is. Sure, there's "quiet." Even "calm," if you're lucky and can find a place that offers such a thing. But silence? Only in deep space where it's physically impossible for sound waves to travel (or so we theorize, having never been that far away from Earth, cosmically speaking). If it did turn out to be possible, I'm sure we would inadvertantly make sure that the silence didn't last. We're very talented in that particular area.
Even now, I'm listening to music as I type this. This is no more than sound replacement--cars, voices, a passing train, merely blocked out by artificial, prerecorded noise made specifically to block out the "unpleasant" noises.
Maybe there is silence. In death, perhaps the ultimate silence can be found. If so, it's no wonder nobody's quiet. Humanity fears death and all that can be connected to it, even Heaven.
Was there ever silence here on Earth?
How could we ever know? Before the creation of animals and humans, perhaps all was silent. But even then, was there wind to interrupt? Splashing waves? Volcanoes, thunder, roaring fires--all there for God alone to listen to?
Now, even the natural sounds are blocked out by all things unnatural.
Case in point: bumps and thuds upstairs all but drown out the breeze outside.
TVs, radios, car horns, airplane engines, six billion complaining voices.
When did the world get so loud?
These noise-oholics, these quiet-ophobics...
--Lullaby, by Chuck Palahniuk
There is no silence.
Not true silence, that is. Sure, there's "quiet." Even "calm," if you're lucky and can find a place that offers such a thing. But silence? Only in deep space where it's physically impossible for sound waves to travel (or so we theorize, having never been that far away from Earth, cosmically speaking). If it did turn out to be possible, I'm sure we would inadvertantly make sure that the silence didn't last. We're very talented in that particular area.
Even now, I'm listening to music as I type this. This is no more than sound replacement--cars, voices, a passing train, merely blocked out by artificial, prerecorded noise made specifically to block out the "unpleasant" noises.
Maybe there is silence. In death, perhaps the ultimate silence can be found. If so, it's no wonder nobody's quiet. Humanity fears death and all that can be connected to it, even Heaven.
Was there ever silence here on Earth?
How could we ever know? Before the creation of animals and humans, perhaps all was silent. But even then, was there wind to interrupt? Splashing waves? Volcanoes, thunder, roaring fires--all there for God alone to listen to?
Now, even the natural sounds are blocked out by all things unnatural.
Case in point: bumps and thuds upstairs all but drown out the breeze outside.
TVs, radios, car horns, airplane engines, six billion complaining voices.
When did the world get so loud?
These noise-oholics, these quiet-ophobics...
--Lullaby, by Chuck Palahniuk
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