Is it wrong to be completely silent?

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

I recently watched 'Sweet and Lowdown' (a Woody Allen mocumentary where a jazz guitar player fucks himself up by not admitting his true love for a mute) and have been thinking about how pleasant quiet people are.

But when you see or hear things you know are wrong, like someone being racist say, is it wrong just to be a mute?* And is it a crime against yourself to be a mute, - like, you're not achieving your complete human destiny because you're not fully participating in the world?

*Given that there are obviously good things about being a mute - like for instance that all human words are sound and fury, signifying nothing, and that it's good to let others speak endlessly, and that silence is just a pleasant experience*, etc

*There was apparently an Egyptian God whose sole role was to take vengeance on the disturbers of silence

― Jody C, Friday, 20 June 2003 02:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Depends on what good it'll do for the situation for me.

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Friday, 20 June 2003 02:42 (twenty-two years ago)

i don't like complete silence, but i don't like pointless chatter either. i think people should keep their mouths closed more often, myself definitely included

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Friday, 20 June 2003 02:42 (twenty-two years ago)

*There was apparently an Egyptian God whose sole role was to take vengeance on the disturbers of silence

Oh that means a lot

5 4 3 2 1 until somebody reiterates that axiom about 'first they came for the ... and I was not ... so I was silent" or whatever

Silence is golden - when you're alone. Add one idiot and silence becomes agreement by default - no good

― Millar (Millar), Friday, 20 June 2003 02:43 (twenty-two years ago)

then again of course I wd say that

― Millar (Millar), Friday, 20 June 2003 02:44 (twenty-two years ago)

This movie is classic b/c Emmet gets in a fight with Django Rheinhert.

― That Girl (thatgirl), Friday, 20 June 2003 02:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Silence can be disagreement by default too, in response to a vaguely phrased question or something

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Friday, 20 June 2003 02:46 (twenty-two years ago)

or a joke, I suppose

― Millar (Millar), Friday, 20 June 2003 02:48 (twenty-two years ago)

i think that it's a greater wrong to for people to yap when they have nothing to say but keep yapping anyway.

― Tad (llamasfur), Friday, 20 June 2003 02:49 (twenty-two years ago)

ref one idiot comment

― Millar (Millar), Friday, 20 June 2003 02:52 (twenty-two years ago)

A friend once told me,

Nothing is always the right thing to say, and often the right thing to do.

― JesseFox (JesseFox), Friday, 20 June 2003 03:26 (twenty-two years ago)

then he shut up for the rest of his life

― Millar (Millar), Friday, 20 June 2003 03:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Nah, I think he just reloaded the bowl. Then he probably said it again 5 minutes later.

― JesseFox (JesseFox), Friday, 20 June 2003 05:17 (twenty-two years ago)

All those Hermetic types and secret order types (obviously) have a big thing about silence, too. Most of 'em have something to do with Egyptian gods or ideas, too. Interesting.

― Scaredy Cat, Friday, 20 June 2003 05:22 (twenty-two years ago)

B-b-b-but... talking is FUN!

― Mandee, Friday, 20 June 2003 06:23 (twenty-two years ago)

The irony!

― N. (nickdastoor), Friday, 20 June 2003 10:07 (twenty-two years ago)

...

― Sommermute (Wintermute), Friday, 20 June 2003 10:10 (twenty-two years ago)

( ), ( )

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Friday, 20 June 2003 10:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Is ( ), ( ) a symbol for http://www.lotusmedia.org/ruby/camera/europe2k/images/28_zit_ad_png.jpg ?

― Sommermute (Wintermute), Friday, 20 June 2003 10:55 (twenty-two years ago)

haha! yes.

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Friday, 20 June 2003 10:57 (twenty-two years ago)

I'll take silence over chatter any day. Hell, I'll take silence over intense, deep and meaningful conversations almost every day, too.

But I do get upset when people see or hear something that they feel is wrong and do not speak-up or act against that situation - it isn't always easy, but it is the right thing to do, in most cases.

― I'm Passing Open Windows (Ms Laura), Friday, 20 June 2003 18:28 (twenty-two years ago)

I think I tend to talk A LOT, but I might also be the quietest member of my family.

When visiting relatives, I tend to be a lot more quiet like this guy.

― Sarah MClusky (coco), Friday, 20 June 2003 19:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Sarah, I just checked the statscock and we are tied. The war begins now!

― NA. (Nick A.), Friday, 20 June 2003 19:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Being higher on the statscock than you is much more important to me than our relationship! So prepare yourself for a fight!

― Sarah McLusky (coco), Friday, 20 June 2003 19:14 (twenty-two years ago)

95% of opinions withheld on visit to family

― oops (Oops), Friday, 20 June 2003 20:19 (twenty-two years ago)

it's lonely.

― Maria (Maria), Saturday, 21 June 2003 00:24 (twenty-two years ago)

being a loudmouthed kind of guy I wouldn't know about it. But... hi, Maria.

― Matt (Matt), Saturday, 21 June 2003 00:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Silence is good. Someone once told me "You have two ears, two eyes and one mouth, therefore you should listen and watch twice as much as you speak". I'm maybe a bit arrogant or something coz I always thing what I have to contribute is important or that anecdotes about me are enriching and this is not always true. Being silent means you learn stacks about people - unless you are silent and dreamy.

― toraneko (toraneko), Saturday, 21 June 2003 05:04 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm dreamy. Or rather, so ADD-addled that I can't pay attention to any but the most interesting people. This is a problem at work especially.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Saturday, 21 June 2003 05:07 (twenty-two years ago)

i think that it's a greater wrong to for people to yap when they have nothing to say but keep yapping anyway.

So much for ILX.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Saturday, 21 June 2003 15:12 (twenty-two years ago)

I'll let you know how the (Smog) tour goes. The dude never talks.

― hstencil, Saturday, 21 June 2003 15:14 (twenty-two years ago)

silence is great!

― cage bot (jdesouza), Monday, 23 June 2003 08:59 (twenty-two years ago)

will you people shut up already

― duane, Monday, 23 June 2003 09:15 (twenty-two years ago)

i was thinking the same thing, duane.

― doom-e, Monday, 23 June 2003 09:16 (twenty-two years ago)

shut up abt shutting up you two!

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Monday, 23 June 2003 09:42 (twenty-two years ago)

You, Shut up, Julio!

― Sarah McLusky (coco), Monday, 23 June 2003 15:41 (twenty-two years ago)

So much for ILX.

True...this is the only place I've seen, where you can have so many educated people, some who actually are saying something.

― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Monday, 23 June 2003 16:29 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.stray-toaster.co.uk/jpgs/tumbleweed.jpg

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Monday, 23 June 2003 16:32 (twenty-two years ago)

that looks so peaceful.

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 23 June 2003 16:34 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.fesfilms.com/Graphics/Loco.gif

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Monday, 23 June 2003 16:35 (twenty-two years ago)

''You, Shut up, Julio!''

OK.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Monday, 23 June 2003 17:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Horace's pic makes me just want to start walking, and keep going into the sunset...

― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Monday, 23 June 2003 21:36 (twenty-two years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.