Silence anchors the soul

Silence is not merely the absence of words but a consummate art—a tour de force of restraint. While the world bloats with blabbering, silence wraps wisdom in a shroud of quietude. It is the antidote to the pesky distractions that tax one’s brain over trivialities. Those who take refuge in escapism often find themselves whisked away by typhoon of chaos, while silence anchors the soul.

Mastery over one’s speech is one of the greatest signs of discipline. It requires resisting the temptation to argue pointlessly, chase approval, or respond to provocations meant to stir emotions. A truly wise person knows that once words are delivered, they cannot be retrieved. Silence, however, keeps its power intact—it remains potent precisely because it is withheld. In a world bereft of stillness and steeped in imbroglio, silence stands as an epochal act of defiance against chaos. While most speak to fill emptiness, assert significance, or fleece validation, the one with an unassuming propensity for silence has risen above such compulsions, allowing its transformative strength to seep in.

Silence extends beyond the mere absence of speech; much of the clamour we experience stems not from the world around us but from the looping dialogue within our own minds—a ceaseless flurry of thoughts that flit in endlessly, untamed and consuming. That is why, at the start of each meal, we should remind ourselves to eat only our food, not our thoughts. By fully immersing ourselves in the act of eating—savouring the piquancy of flavours, noticing the warmth of companionship—we allow the mind’s enterprise to relent. There is no need to wade into overthinking; instead, we shift our awareness to the richness of the present moment. This does not mean we must stop thinking entirely. Rather, it calls for a redirection—a deliberate siphoning of attention from distractions to what is immediate and real. When walking, we focus on our breath and the rhythm of our steps. If a pressing matter arises, we confront it intentionally rather than allowing it to clot our minds with endless thinking. Breathing and moving mindfully enables us to remain grounded, letting compulsive thoughts disperse of their own.

Happiness emerges when we step away from the macabre dance of worries and instead engage ourselves in the legible miracles around us. If the moon hangs scarlet in the sky, yet we are lost in thought, it might as well vanish. But when we shift our awareness back to the present, its glow becomes a gentle beacon guiding us home. No forceful suppression of thought is necessary—no vigilante policing of the mind. Simply redirecting attention from mental noise to life’s quiet wonders is the heart of mindfulness. We do not need to quail before our thoughts or pander to their demands. Instead, we sear our focus into the now, finding joy in the quiet. Even in our most trying days, mindfulness offers refuge—not by rejecting thought, but by meeting each moment with lucidity and grace.

Silence is a deliberate engagement, a conscious choice that cultivates self-mastery. The truly strong people do not merely lounge in noise but understand patterns lost to those overwhelmed by constant clamour. They listen keenly, observe deeply, and grasp meaning beyond impulsive reactions that run unchecked.

Silence also shores up protection. Speaking reveals vulnerabilities, while silence renders you impervious to those who might capitalise on them. The less you say, the less others can drive a wedge into your defenses. It guards against self-sabotage—how often have emotions led to regrettable words? Silence is self-control thereby preventing irreversible speech. It nurtures wisdom by creating space to absorb knowledge in dribs and drabs, allowing insights to unroll and flatten in the mind like a gossamer veil of clarity. The constant speaker, in contrast, leaves no room for growth, remaining subservient to the need for noise. Yet, mastering silence is not about being incommunicado—it is about wielding it with a strong intention. And in a world where noise adds to the already present huge pile of stress, silence becomes the hinge on which true understanding turns.

Some believe that the world, at its core, is chaotic and irrational. To cruise through it, we require clarity, focus, and inner peace. Silence is the gateway to it. In silence, we finally hear what is otherwise drowned out by the world’s noise—our own thoughts, intuition, and deepest truths. It is in these moments of quiet that we see ourselves most clearly, peeling away layers of distraction to confront what lies beneath. We live in a world that fears silence, that equates stillness with stagnation and quiet with weakness. But wise people in the past understood what many overlook: silence is where true strength resides. It is in silence that we uncover our essence, distill our thoughts, and find our way back to ourselves.

To attain peace, we must seek moments of stillness. We can reap the benefits of silence by immersing ourselves in nature, practicing mindfulness, and brushing aside unnecessary distractions. Valuing silence allows us to alleviate stress, strengthen our relationships, and helps us to lead a more fulfilling life when we cherish it. Surrounded by the unending hum of daily existence, learning to value silence can be a vital step toward self-renewal and introspection.

Zahoor Farooq is a short story writer, and a book reviewer hailing from the town, Khrew.