Silence

Wittgenstein famously wrote, as the last proposition in his Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, “Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent.”

That admonition has rarely stopped politicians, pundits, celebrities, and social influencers from weighing in on unspeakable topics of all sorts.  

Me neither.

To wit, case in point, this right here.

Silence may be golden, but noise must be platinum because people consistently value it more highly than remaining quiet.  Talking heads are always talking, right; no one makes a living as a mute head, do they?

Mom used to say, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all;” nowadays, it’s more like “If you can’t say anything nice, let the networks sign you up for a multi-million dollar deal.”

Or, at least let’s get you some likes for your Yelp review.

Nearly everyone enjoys flapping their gums about whatever; that’s fine, of course, by why isn’t reposing one’s ears held in similar esteem?  Everyone wants to be a speaker or writer; where are the listeners and readers?

According to the internet: “The Orfield Labs anechoic chamber in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is considered the world's most soundproof room and holds the Guinness World Record for the quietest place on Earth, with sound levels as low as -24.9 decibels. This anechoic chamber is designed to absorb all sound reflections, and its construction includes a floor of sound-absorbing wedges that float on springs to eliminate echoes and external vibrations. The extreme quietness allows people to hear their own internal body sounds, such as their heartbeat and breathing, a sensation that can feel disorienting or even deafening to some.”

Silence is deafening, literally!

Meanwhile, out in the world, birds are singing, horns are honking, leaf blowers are whining, trucks are grinding their gears, music is blaring, airplanes roar overhead, the neighbor’s dog keeps barking all day long, the refrigerator hums, the fluorescent lights buzz, the shutter bangs repeatedly in the wind, and all over the world, nobody shuts up.

Me neither.