This experience taught me that intentional silence is an extremely powerful yet mostly unrecognized phenomenon. I think many people, including myself, have the tendency to complicate life with incessant and unnecessary conversation because they fear an “awkward silence.” However, silence doesn’t need to be “awkward.” Silence can join two people through a shared feeling of open possibility, slowing down the constant chatter of our minds. My moment with Bergita proved to me that often words can interfere with this; when we are silent we become less focused on ourselves and are opened up to a wonderful sense of selfless empathy. It’s this empathy that connects us meaningfully to others, which has become evident in my own
This experience taught me that intentional silence is an extremely powerful yet mostly unrecognized phenomenon. I think many people, including myself, have the tendency to complicate life with incessant and unnecessary conversation because they fear an “awkward silence.” However, silence doesn’t need to be “awkward.” Silence can join two people through a shared feeling of open possibility, slowing down the constant chatter of our minds. My moment with Bergita proved to me that often words can interfere with this; when we are silent we become less focused on ourselves and are opened up to a wonderful sense of selfless empathy. It’s this empathy that connects us meaningfully to others, which has become evident in my own