In many situations it makes sense to talk to each other to clarify things or solve problems – but sometimes it helps to remain silent. Five cases where there is strength in silence.
Talking to each other is usually a good strategy for communicating and living with other people. After all, no one can read minds and no two worlds of thought are exactly alike. Sometimes, though, words can break things, even if they’re the right ones, or be wasted and misplaced. Then silence is usually the best option – and that too can express something.
5 situations in which silence can be better than talking
1. Pointless discussion
Sometimes some people don’t want to engage with others, they just want to stick to their opinion and point of view – and if necessary, persuade the other person to see things the way they do. In such situations, while we can certainly try to talk to them and open them up to the fact that there are and should be different points of view, we may not get anywhere and just waste our energy. Therefore, especially if said persons do no harm with their position, it may be wiser and better to accept their attitude silently and to refrain from discussions that would only lead to frustration and disagreement.
2. Silent understanding
With certain people we sometimes experience moments in which we understand each other without words. In which one look is enough to know that we see, think or feel the same as them. We can disenchant these moments by commenting on them – and by remaining silent, give them a special meaning.
3. Incomprehensible feelings
When we don’t understand, sort, or grasp our own feelings because, for example, they are particularly intense, new, or complex, it may be better to wait and silently observe how they develop, rather than hastily assigning words that might be wrong to them do not do it justice – sometimes we need time and some distance to classify our emotions. The same applies to other people: if the other person is clearly emotional and upset, it may be better to silently give them the opportunity to collect themselves instead of talking to the person.
Apart from that, words that we utter in the emotional chaos or under the impression of strong emotions can sometimes be thoughtless and possibly hurt someone or harm ourselves – silence, on the other hand, is usually not so easy.
4. Unnecessary justification
Mistakes, misunderstandings, omissions – things like that happen. And there is always a reason for that. Many people feel a strong urge to always justify themselves and explain why they did what and possibly messed up. However, this is often unnecessary and superfluous: because it doesn’t make anything better or because everyone else has long since checked the matter and don’t want to bother with it any longer. Instead of responding to one’s own impulse to justify oneself each time, it can be better to remain silent and wait and see whether an explanation is desirable or makes sense at all, or whether it is solely for self-portrayal and rehabilitation.
5. Pauses in speech
For some people, having a moment of silence in company feels uncomfortable and wrong. Although they don’t have anything to say, they then fill in the silence with whatever words come to mind that they don’t really stand by or that aren’t necessarily appropriate in the situation. Such statements, which we utter out of embarrassment, are often more unpleasant than silence out of embarrassment, and those who learn to endure moments of silence in society will perceive in them what remains hidden during the flow of the conversation.
Sources used: newtraderu.com, makemebetter.net