Quiet Speaks Volumes
'Tis the season!
I don't mean to sound like The Grinch, much less agree with him, but I, too, "hate the noise, noise, noise, noise."
It's not the sound of holiday cheer that irritates me; it's the constant amplification of headlines, opinions, commentary, and absolutism that grinds my gears.
Albert Schweitzer is credited with saying, "my life is my argument." I don't know much about the man, but I know he was a humanitarian, theologian, philosopher, musician, charitable doctor, and mustache extraordinaire. He decided to forego a typical life and dedicated his years to serving the poor.
He was controversial, but he wasn't one to lash out at his critics, name-call opponents, or strike back at detractors. In describing his intellectual pacifism to a friend, he wrote,
“I decided that I would make my life my argument.”
This novel idea would improve our collective mood if widely adopted. I love debating and welcome opportunities to discuss ideas and philosophies both with those I align closely with and those whose opinions vastly differ. It's how we learn.
Trading ideas is vital to progress, but the exchange doesn't always need to be projected at max volume. It can be quietly demonstrated by example.
It's easier now to make noise than ever before. The emergence of social media has provided a 24/7 soapbox. You no longer need to wait patiently for a suitable social setting before inciting a debate. At any moment, when a nerve is struck, you can blow off steam, and in the process, collect a chemical high of "likes" and virtual attaboys.
There's no need to let the subconscious digest information before crafting a response. Instead, you can immediately take a stand, no matter how poorly constructed the idea or hateful the message.
We have two ears but only one mouth. I love that message and would do well to heed it more often, but it seems we'd need ten ears today even to begin to recept the constant barrage of opined vibrations.
Maybe we should collectively turn down the volume.
I use the word collectively loosely. I'm not suggesting an organized response by a bureaucratic institution or a coordinated social media campaign. I'm certainly not encouraging further prohibitions on speech or more laws and regulations. I don't believe in change through coercion.
But if more individuals followed the simple framework Albert Schweitzer, even in part, we'd dial down the volume to less rage-inducing levels. A quieter environment permits clearer thinking and self-reflection. It provides an incubator for ideas to develop naturally with less external influence.
Emphasizing action over chatter would generate greater accountability for leaders. Results, not rhetoric, would take precedence. Individuals could pursue meaningful endeavors, caring less about what others say or think and more about their priorities and values.
Even if societal benefits didn't fully come to bear, it's easier to live for yourself and your family when you're not busy conjuring your next response, pre-empting counter-arguments, or becoming enraged over a stranger's disagreement.
Instead, you could spend your precious energy in the moment. Being outraged over things you have no control over hurts you and those who take your anger's brunt. Imagine not worrying about what others think. Imagine feeling less compelled to share every gripe,
Think of the individual and familial progress you could make if actions were more valuable than semantics. We could restore nuance. Tribalism would decline. And the individual would come back into focus, untethered from the narrow confines of the "with us or against us" platforms.
I will follow Schweitzer's lead. A little more peace and quiet sounds refreshing. Perhaps by allowing my life to be my argument, my argument will grow stronger and more impactful, even if made at a lower volume.
