We are a civilization addicted to noise, and a civilization that derogatorily designates the lover of quiet as an antisocial recluse, a thoughtless fool, a studious nerd, an iconoclast, a rebel, a religious ascetic, an eccentric, standofish, recluse. I proudly wear all those labels.
The past 50 years has significantly swelled global noise. Television sets blast away even with no one watching ("keep the set on, robbers will think there's someone home", "I feel lonely without the tv on"). Advertisers grab your attention with high-pitched blaring announcements of pending sales and giveaways rather than with facts about their product. Cell phones have people talking while walking, while driving, while sitting in hospital waiting rooms. Rock and roll, hip hop and other modern music genres are premised on screaming vocals and electronically amplified sounds. Motion pictures have turned to explosive mindblowing ear-shattering acoustics to lure your attention and your dollar. The two minutes of silent thought or prayer to honor the fallen, in my youth, has been shortened to one fleeting moment..."let the games and the noise begin."
I know that noise can philosophically be associated with the physical in our world...and quiet associated with the thoughtful and spiritual. It is difficult to be in touch with your inner self amidst clamor, racket, uproar, pandemonium. Quiescence is the quintessential need of the human mind, and the human soul.
Throughout the centuries, the pendulum has swung from one sphere of our lives to the other. One or the other has dominated, when ideally both are a vital part of, and contributor to, the beauty of our lives. Today, the pervasive attention by so many on the physical in our lives, coupled with the ascendant use of mind-numbing drugs, makes me wonder: When and how will the pendulum start to swing again?
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