1: forbearance from speech or noise : MUTENESS —often used
interjectionally.
2: absence of sound or noise : STILLNESS.
in the silence of the night.
3: absence of mention:
a: OBLIVION, OBSCURITY.
b: SECRECY.
weapons research was conducted in silence.
Silence in Communication.
Silence is the absence of ambient audible sound, the
emission of sounds of such low intensity that they do not draw attention to
themselves, or the state of having ceased to produce sounds; this latter sense
can be extended to apply to the cessation or absence of any form of
communication, whether through speech or other medium.
Sometimes speakers fall silent when they hesitate in
searching for a word, or interrupt themselves before correcting themselves.
Discourse analysis shows that people use brief silences to mark the boundaries
of prosodic units, in turn-taking, or as reactive tokens, e.g., as a sign of
displeasure, disagreement, embarrassment, desire to think, confusion, and the
like. Relatively prolonged intervals of silence can be used in rituals; in some
religious disciplines, people maintain silence for protracted periods, or even
for the rest of their lives, as an ascetic means of spiritual transformation.
Rhetorical Silence.
Silence may become an effective rhetorical practice when
people choose to be silent for a specific purpose. It has not merely been recognized as a theory
but also as a phenomenon with practical advantages. Rhetorical silence cannot
be explained since it happens when lack of communication is not expected. When
silence becomes rhetorical, it is intentional since it reflects a meaning.
There are always some meanings, intentions, and goals that cannot be expressed
linguistically in words and there are always voices that cannot be raised
through sounds, rather they are all reflected through silence.
These rhetorical practices lead to the articulation of new
meanings.
Silence functions as a rhetorical strategy. It is used as a voice to empower one or a
group of people. Silence has a power to neutralize power. In other words, it is a construct used against
any type of inequality, oppression, and injustice.
This silence (muteness) reflects the voice of
resistance. Some social animal species
communicate the signal of potential danger by stopping contact calls and
freezing, without the use of alarm calls, through silence.
In spirituality.
"Silence" in spirituality is often a metaphor for
inner stillness. A silent mind, freed from the onslaught of thoughts and
thought patterns, is both a goal and an important step in spiritual
development. Such "inner silence" is not about the absence of sound;
instead, it is understood to bring one in contact with the divine, the ultimate
reality, or one's own true self, one's divine nature.[10] Many religious
traditions imply the importance of being quiet and still in mind and spirit for
transformative and integral spiritual growth to occur. In Christianity, there
is the silence of contemplative prayer such as centering prayer and Christian
meditation; in Islam, there are the wisdom writings of the Sufis who insist on
the importance of finding silence within. In Buddhism, the descriptions of
silence and allowing the mind to become silent are implied as a feature of
spiritual enlightenment. In Hinduism, including the teachings of Advaita
Vedanta and the many paths of yoga, teachers insist on the importance of
silence, Mauna, for inner growth. Ramana Maharishi, a revered Hindu sage, said,
"The only language able to express the whole truth is silence."
Perkey Avot, the Jewish Sages guide for living, states that, "Tradition is
a safety fence to Torah, tithing a safety fence to wealth, vows a safety fence
for abstinence; a safety fence for wisdom ... is silence." In some
traditions of Quakerism, communal silence is the usual context of worship
meetings, in patient expectancy for the divine to speak in the heart and mind. In the Baha'i Faith, Baha'u'llah said in
"Words of Wisdom", "the essence of true safety is to observe
silence". Eckhart Tolle says that silence can be seen either as the
absence of noise, or as the space in which sound exists, just as inner
stillness can be seen as the absence of thought, or the space in which thoughts
are perceived.
Commemorative silence.
A common way to remember a tragic incident and to remember
the victims or casualties of such an event is a commemorative moment of
silence.
In law
The right to silence is a legal protection enjoyed by people
undergoing police interrogation or trial in certain countries. The law is
either explicit or recognized in many legal systems.
In Music.
Music inherently depends on silence, in some form or
another, to distinguish other periods of sound and allow dynamics, melodies,
and rhythms to have greater impact.
Silence is the tool of the assassin, the deadly plague and
calm before the storm.
Silence can be both peaceful and oppressive. Its is said
that silence can be deafening.
Space isn’t silent. It’s abuzz with charged particles that —
with the right tools — we can hear.
Ausar,Numerology,Atlantis,Tamery,Taseti,silence
(muteness),reflects the,voice of resistance,. Some social,animal
species,communicate,the signal,of potential danger,by stopping,contact
calls,and freezing,use of,alarm calls,through silence.,In spirituality.,"Silence",in
spirituality is often a,metaphor for inner,stillness. A silent mind,freed from
the onslaught,thoughts,thought patterns,is both a goal,spiritual development.
