No Result
View All Result
  • MISSION STATEMENT
  • CONTACT
  • BE PART OF QUALITY JOURNALISM
  • ARCHIVE
Monday, September 25, 2023
E-Paper
Kashmir Observer
24 °c
Srinagar
  • NEWSLIVE
    • TOP STORIES
    • LOCAL
    • CITY
    • REGIONAL
    • WORLD
  • IN DEPTH
    • FEATURE
    • HEADS & TAILS
    • OPINION
      • OPINION
      • EDITORIAL
      • KO ANALYSIS
      • LETTERS TO EDITOR
    • SPECIAL REPORT
    • INTERVIEW
    • REVIEW
      • BOOKS
    • LONGFORM
  • BUSINESS
    • BUSINESS NEWS
    • MARKET
    • ENERGY
    • HORTICULTURE
    • HANDICRAFTS
    • CARS & BIKES
    • STARTUP KASHMIR
  • SPORT
    • FOOTBAL
    • CRICKET
    • ADVENTURE SPORTS
    • GOLF
    • ATHLETICS
    • SKIING
    • OTHER SPORTS
  • MEDIA
  • PEOPLE
  • CULTURE
    • KHYEN CHYEN
    • ARTS
    • CRAFTS
    • FESTIVALS
    • THEATER
    • LANGAUGE
  • TRAVEL
    • HOUSEBOATS
    • HOTELS
    • ANGLING
    • CAMPING
    • DESTINATION FOCUS
  • SOCIETY
    • EDUCATION
    • HEADS & TAILS
    • GENDER
    • YOUTH
    • CHILD WELFARE
  • LITERATURE
    • SHORT STORY
    • BOOKS
    • NARRATIVE
  • CINEMA
    • CINEMA & TV
  • ePAPERS
    • BAZAAR OBSERVER
    • YOUNG KASHMIR
    • MIZRAB
  • NEWSLIVE
    • TOP STORIES
    • LOCAL
    • CITY
    • REGIONAL
    • WORLD
  • IN DEPTH
    • FEATURE
    • HEADS & TAILS
    • OPINION
      • OPINION
      • EDITORIAL
      • KO ANALYSIS
      • LETTERS TO EDITOR
    • SPECIAL REPORT
    • INTERVIEW
    • REVIEW
      • BOOKS
    • LONGFORM
  • BUSINESS
    • BUSINESS NEWS
    • MARKET
    • ENERGY
    • HORTICULTURE
    • HANDICRAFTS
    • CARS & BIKES
    • STARTUP KASHMIR
  • SPORT
    • FOOTBAL
    • CRICKET
    • ADVENTURE SPORTS
    • GOLF
    • ATHLETICS
    • SKIING
    • OTHER SPORTS
  • MEDIA
  • PEOPLE
  • CULTURE
    • KHYEN CHYEN
    • ARTS
    • CRAFTS
    • FESTIVALS
    • THEATER
    • LANGAUGE
  • TRAVEL
    • HOUSEBOATS
    • HOTELS
    • ANGLING
    • CAMPING
    • DESTINATION FOCUS
  • SOCIETY
    • EDUCATION
    • HEADS & TAILS
    • GENDER
    • YOUTH
    • CHILD WELFARE
  • LITERATURE
    • SHORT STORY
    • BOOKS
    • NARRATIVE
  • CINEMA
    • CINEMA & TV
  • ePAPERS
    • BAZAAR OBSERVER
    • YOUNG KASHMIR
    • MIZRAB
No Result
View All Result
Kashmir Observer
No Result
View All Result
Home FEATURE

In Praise of Silence

by Guest Author
November 15, 2021
A A
2
SHARES
122
VIEWS
For Representational Purposes Only

By Firdous Ahmad Mala and Rouf Ali

EXPRESSING oneself is both an art and a skill. Not all are versed and acquainted with it. Being good at rhetoric and eloquence can make success and popularity come to fruition. However, when nuances of words become nuisances, it is better to sing songs with no lyrics. And one must remember that silence is better than a misuse of the tongue.

A lot of wise people have broken their silence in praise of silence. In the words of Will Rogers, “Never miss a good chance to shut up.” One must acknowledge the fact that though it seems counterintuitive, yet silence is sometimes louder and more powerful than speech. This is more suitably the stance to take when one knows not what words to substitute for silence. In the absence of a good and well-knit speech, silence could be a more befitting choice. In the words of Ansel Adams, “When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Strangely enough, the tongues seem to be outnumbering the ears. All tongues seem to be wagging like anything. Most ears appear to have been deafened. And all but a few ears seem to have been lent to the tongues. The art of listening ought to be mastered naturally and this skill must be harnessed before one masters the skill of speaking.

Misunderstanding is often a result of hasty judgements, unverified reporting and irresponsible misuse of the tongue. Delaying judgements, scrutinizing reports and responsibly choosing one’s words is the need of every hour. Silence is a panacea to a plethora of behavioral ailments.

Read Also

Snowfall In Higher Reaches Of Kashmir, Rains Lash Plains

Video: 3rd Party Inspection And Monitoring For Centrally Sponsored Schemes

To Francis Bacon, “Silence is the sleep that nourishes wisdom.” To Thomas Carlyle, “Speech is silver, silence is golden.” And to Lau Tzu, “Silence is a source of great strength.” It seems difficult to overstate the importance of silence in a restless and maddening world.

Now, if by silence, we mean discipline, the tongue is not the only organ to watch out for. The heart is to be silenced from wanting the unrealistic and desiring the immoral; the eye is to be silenced from watching the immodest and goggling the opposite; and the hand is to be silenced from making objectionable gestures and grabbing what belongs to others.

It is pertinent to mention that the tongue is a reflection of the brain and the heart. A thought or an emotion can affect one’s choice of words. An uneducated and corrupt heart can lead to a spoiled tongue and a selfish idea can lead to a sabotage of peace. A spoiled tongue spits more venom than saliva. It has the potential to wreak every kind of havoc. One must remember that a spark neglected could burn the house.

Having praised silence, one should not and must not take it to mean that one must always be a mute spectator and not be well-versed with the judicious and artful use of the gift of gab. One may, on a jocular note argue that silence is sometimes a thing that is detested the most for a newborn’s silence and the silence of a loved one can be signs of danger and that of frustration. The reader, however, needs to understand that silence is more often a virtue than a vice.

Rumi is said to have said, “The quieter you become the more you are able to hear.”

As a middle path, silence and speech ought to be used complementary to each other. An intelligent role-play of silence and speech is precisely what the doctor prescribes. The Greek polymath, Pythagoras is reported to have said, “A fool is known by his speech; and a wise man by silence.”

Let silence be the default, especially when your words are no likely to be better. Let words by the choice when they are likely to result in more good than harm. Regarding the need to exercise silence, Federico Fellini said, “If there were a little more silence, if we all kept quiet, maybe we could understand something.” In the words of Charles Colton, “When you have nothing to say, say nothing.” And as per Epictetus, “Keep silence for the most part, and speak only when you must, and then briefly.”


  • The authors are Assistant Professor Govt. Degree College Sopore and Sr. Assistant professor Govt. Degree College Sopore respectively

Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now

Be Part of Quality Journalism

Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast.

ACT NOW
MONTHLYRs 100
YEARLYRs 1000
LIFETIMERs 10000

CLICK FOR DETAILS

Share1Tweet1SendShareShareSend
Previous Post

Tourism Deptt To Organise Winter Festivals, Events To Woo Tourists

Next Post

‘We’re Digging Our Own Graves’: Watching Glasgow from Kashmir

Guest Author

Guest Author

Related Posts

Snowfall In Higher Reaches Of Kashmir, Rains Lash Plains
TOP STORIES

Snowfall In Higher Reaches Of Kashmir, Rains Lash Plains

Video: 3rd Party Inspection And Monitoring For Centrally Sponsored Schemes
GALLERIES

Video: 3rd Party Inspection And Monitoring For Centrally Sponsored Schemes

Follow Ideals Of Freedom Fighter Dinkar: LG To Youth
LOCAL

Follow Ideals Of Freedom Fighter Dinkar: LG To Youth

DAK Urges 3 Vaccines To Prevent Triple Virus Threat
HEALTH

DAK Urges 3 Vaccines To Prevent Triple Virus Threat

Are We Reading Prophet’s Seerah Right? 
IN DEPTH

Are We Reading Prophet’s Seerah Right? 

SMC Corporator Held For Sexual Assault In Srinagar
CITY

SMC Corporator Held For Sexual Assault In Srinagar

Next Post
‘We’re Digging Our Own Graves’: Watching Glasgow from Kashmir

'We’re Digging Our Own Graves': Watching Glasgow from Kashmir

Woman Killed, 3 Members Of Family Injured In Kupwara Accident

740 Lives Lost To Traffic Accidents In J&K Last Year

Please login to join discussion

Pages

  • ABOUT US
  • ADVERTISE IN KO
  • ARCHIVE
  • BE PART OF QUALITY JOURNALISM
  • CONTACT
  • CONTRIBUTORS
  • INTERNSHIPS AT OBSERVER
  • JOBS@KO
  • KO – Homepage
  • MISSION STATEMENT
  • POLICIES
    • COMMENTING GUIDELINES
    • COOKIE POLICY
    • DISCLAIMER
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS
  • Refund Policy
  • Team

SEARCH IN ARCHIVE

No Result
View All Result

FOLLOW US

About Us

The media in Kashmir, comprising a robust English and vernacular press has a particularly unenviable job to do. The problems faced by it are both universal to the conflict situations and unique to the region. Read More

Advertising

For Advertising on various Kashmir Observer platforms
contact

[email protected]
+91-194-2502327; +91-1947969705

© 1997 -2023 | KASHMIR OBSERVER LLP

No Result
View All Result
  • NEWS
    • TOP STORIES
    • LOCAL
    • CITY
    • REGIONAL
    • WORLD
  • IN DEPTH
    • FEATURE
    • HEADS & TAILS
    • OPINION
      • OPINION
      • EDITORIAL
      • KO ANALYSIS
      • LETTERS TO EDITOR
    • SPECIAL REPORT
    • INTERVIEW
    • REVIEW
      • BOOKS
    • LONGFORM
  • BUSINESS
    • BUSINESS NEWS
    • MARKET
    • ENERGY
    • HORTICULTURE
    • HANDICRAFTS
    • CARS & BIKES
    • STARTUP KASHMIR
  • SPORT
    • FOOTBAL
    • CRICKET
    • ADVENTURE SPORTS
    • GOLF
    • ATHLETICS
    • SKIING
    • OTHER SPORTS
  • MEDIA
  • PEOPLE
  • CULTURE
    • KHYEN CHYEN
    • ARTS
    • CRAFTS
    • FESTIVALS
    • THEATER
    • LANGAUGE
  • TRAVEL
    • HOUSEBOATS
    • HOTELS
    • ANGLING
    • CAMPING
    • DESTINATION FOCUS
  • SOCIETY
    • EDUCATION
    • HEADS & TAILS
    • GENDER
    • YOUTH
    • CHILD WELFARE
  • LITERATURE
    • SHORT STORY
    • BOOKS
    • NARRATIVE
  • CINEMA
    • CINEMA & TV
  • ePAPERS
    • BAZAAR OBSERVER
    • YOUNG KASHMIR
    • MIZRAB

© 1997 -2023 | KASHMIR OBSERVER LLP