on Silence

Life is constant contradiction.  We’re told we should “Speak the truth and shame the devil“, we’re also told to “Bite our tongue“.  When we speak out against something that strikes us as questionable, we often incur the wrath of those who disagree.  This makes us immediately regret the decision to talk instead of biting our tongue.  Regret is painful, and since pain is a powerful teacher we quickly learn to choose silence even though our silence is a lie.

I believe the choice of silence is a big mistake. Why?  Because we’re choosing long term internal pain over over the pain of a short term external rebuke.  When I bite my tongue and manage to stop myself saying what I really think about something, I suffer through a drawn out internal dialogue in which I question my integrity, my resolve, and my courage.  Self-doubt is a pretty terrible thing because the one person we absolutely have to live with, is ourself.

Those are the thoughts that prompted this tweet…

Silence is the easiest lie of all. When you don’t speak the truth as you see it, what you’re doing is “silenting a lie”

About C.G.Ayling

Musing misuser of words, lover of lyrical literature, author, occasional contrary thoughts. An honorable man’s name, in memoriam.
This entry was posted in Ponderings and tagged . Bookmark the permalink.

2 Responses to on Silence

  1. Jean-Pierre Guyot says:

    I totally agree! Life is indeed full of contradictions. But our inner life fares no better! Ideas clash, impulses cancel each other out, wishes are at odds with our principles, etc. We are fated to live a life of warring opposites, a life steeped in constant discord!

    • C.G.Ayling says:

      Perhaps it is not so much a matter of discord as it is one of opportunity. Every time we are forced, by either circumstance or our conscience, to reconsider our choices or actions we have a chance to make a better decision.

Leave a Reply to Jean-Pierre Guyot Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *