silence: because what's missing is too absent to ignore

25 Pages·2015·0.57 MB·English

Journal of Societal and Cultural Research
Volume 1, Number 1
March, 2015
ISSN: 2376-399X

SILENCE: BECAUSE WHAT'S MISSING IS
TOO ABSENT TO IGNORE
Mary A. O’Grady, PhD Grand Canyon University
Lonny Meinecke Grand Canyon University

Abstract: What is silence? Is there a psychology of silence—and what does the
literature reveal? The exploration of the concept of silence in the psychological
literature reveals an almost biological entity—that speaks, grows, hurts, and
conceals—despite being nothing at all. Humans are a verbal species, so verbal in
fact that the very absence of sound seems to make humans uncomfortable. This
verbal world—so dependent on manifest explanation—may make silence one of
the most effective means of communication (even though it appears to
communicate nothing). This research paper will explore the psychological
literature, and show that silence speaks though it says nothing, grows though it
has no substance, hurts though it can touch nothing, and conceals though it
cannot hide from perception. Though it consists of nothing in particular, it
generates psychological phenomena such as pressure, anxiety, suspicion,
isolation, rejection, inner conflict, ambiguity, and agitation. Despite its lack of
sound or meaning, the language of silence is spoken by all—and once silence is
here, its missing explanation is too absent to ignore.
Keywords: spiral of silence, absence of explanation, biophilia, groupthink
definition, interrogation techniques, culture of silence.

What is silence? What is the psychology of uncomfortable (Manassis, Tannock,
it? The literature is not silent on silence, Garland, Minde, & Clark, 2007). The
revealing an almost biological entity, one presence of an empty span of conscious
that speaks, grows, hurts, and conceals, time, such as the silence between an
despite being nothing at all. Humans are a expression of need or pain and a reply,
verbal species (Hauser, 2005). The absence becomes spontaneously filled with an
of discernable sound often makes humans urgency to fill it (Biro & Biro, 2011). This

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verbal world is so dependent on language communicate anything meaningful? The
that the absence of language, manifested as reason is not the silence (which is manifest);
silence, may be the most effective means of the reason is the expectation hidden in the
communicating anything that remains silence (which is not manifest). When we
undefined (Ekman, 1998; Hauser, 2005). anticipate something should be here, but it is
Humans can spot an absence of explanation saliently not here, silence is the presence of
from afar (Darwish, 2011; Elhammoumi, that absence. As Freud (1920) illuminated
1996; Vygotsky, Luria, & Rossiter, 1992). long ago, what is manifest is already here,
When will the silence end? What goes here? and does not beg discovery; what is latent or
This research paper will explore the hidden in suggestion is not quite here, and
psychological literature, and show that teases imagination.
silence speaks though it says nothing, grows By example, most are familiar with
though it has no substance, hurts though it the ritual of roll call, during which a list of
can touch nothing, and conceals though it names is read, and, upon the breaking of the
cannot hide from perception. Though it silence after each name, someone says . . .
consists of nothing in particular, it generates “Here!” This habit we have of calling out a
psychological phenomena such as pressure, list of labels of things we believe should be
anxiety, suspicion, isolation, rejection, inner here to verify that they are, is intimately
conflict, ambiguity, and agitation. Despite bound to the need for all of us to anxiously
its lack of sound or meaning, the language await the unveiling of the absent response.
of silence is spoken by all, yet silence is Time appears to stand still as we await the
something that is so missing, it is too absent appearance of the delayed agent who must
to ignore. In the absence of explanation, be attached to the label hanging in mid-air
silence brings what is hidden into the light (Gütig & Sompolinsky, 2009). Frequently,
and though we are urgent to fill this activity cannot continue while this silence
emptiness with something, we can never be pervades; so, having called the name of this
sure if what we offer up to the Silence, is thing which is not here, this is when
enough for it to go away. Absence is here. A present thing would
reply, so that if an absent thing does not
Language - Silence Speaks reply, this Silence is very much like the
How is silence a language? Silence Absence saying . . . “Here!” Silence may be
speaks an ineffable language everyone both the softest and loudest of all
seems to know but no one can say. It tells us communications, because like zero in a
what is not here; it makes the obvious denominator, it is simultaneously necessary
ambiguous. It is nonverbal yet is has idioms; and meaningless, evidential yet undefined,
it is like a pause between a question that was existent yet has no reciprocal proof it exists
not asked, and an answer that did not reply. (Quinn, Lamberg, & Perrin, 2008; Wagner,
2009; Weisstein, 2015). Though it is
When the Absent are Present quantitative, we can never determine how
Carbaugh (1990) states that how a quiet or how loud it is, guessing, instead, is
community uses silence to communicate is what fills our thoughts like epistemological
at least as important to study as how that qualia (Haikonen, 2009). Silence is almost
community uses spoken meanings to the voice of our fear and of our doubt, or
communicate to one another. How does like roll call, the sound of something which
silence become such an effective means of should be here, but is not. Silence is such a
communication? How can “being silent” sound. It is so “loud” we can barely hear

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Silence: Because what’s missing is too absent to ignore
ourselves think. Silence has not said defensive, avoidant, reluctant, not of the
anything, yet it has our complete attention. partner but of the negative emotions
previously shared, and harmful silence is
aggressive, derisive, compliance-seeking of
The Language Spoken by Silence the partner proper (McColl, 2012).
The power that written language has Reconciliation is the goal, either
over us lies in the suggestive power of the way, but one is contributive and mutual,
arrangement of symbols we transit hopefully while the other is withholding and unilateral.
or anxiously, and wherein the collision of Battered women sometimes carry silence
inner expectation and inference with with them out of fear, as tribute to prevent a
external latency and ambiguity often results partner from leaving, or as an offering so as
in far more words than could ever fit on a not to lose any more symmetry or privileges
single page (based on Chomsky, 2007). The (Lewis, 1996). Victims of domestic abuse
famous Noam Chomsky called this effect, sometimes lose their personal identity
eloquently, “a discrete infinity of utterances” completely, in the silent substitution of “we”
which we might describe here as potential wherever “I” should go during verbal
responses whether uttered or not (Rieber, behavior (O'Grady, 2015). In this sense, the
2010, para. 24). The affective elevations reticent contents of Silence when meant for
which arise from this intersection of forces good suggest hope, and the taciturn contents
become the communicated meaning we of Silence when meant for hurt constitute
think we see. The author of any written fear. The language of silence is deliberately
communication cannot disambiguate ambiguous.
everything his or her audience might ask in a
future which is not yet here, so that The Hidden Lexicon of Silence
whatever was left unsaid is often the Whenever there is a presence of the
magnitude of hopes and doubts that give absence of something needed, the silence
meaning and intensity to the story. McColl that hangs in the air is like a hidden lexicon
(2012) divides the language of silence into of words that have been invisibly said. Some
two categories: for good, and for harm. of these hidden terms, in the silence, Capps
When silence is present for good, it (2011) calls shame, omission, repulsion,
is a volume affording the diffusion of rejection, embarrassment, indifference,
elevating argumentative emotions. It is a punishment, and suffering, like a child of
mutual silence, a manifest silence, whose lost synchrony during fundamental
reasons for being present are clear and attachment development, perhaps Augustine
mutually understood. It is an epoch of himself. Reflection on words “spoken”
agreed calm during which the emotions so during the silence, can result in a harvest of
contentiously engaged may withdraw and loneliness, isolation, lost opportunity,
consolidate what has been said. hidden portents, or an ominous expectation
When silence is present for harm, the which never completely goes away because
injury arises from either the manifest nature it never completely arrived and told us why
of the silence itself, that this silence is meant it was here. Capps suggests that much of the
to injure, or the intentional hiding, latent cold fog between strangers meeting for the
nature, of any reason at all. Reflection by first time in every venue, is due to the fear
the object of that silence on this hidden of the silent reply that may come as a
explanation results in inner seeking of faults reaction to the timid hello. Neither love nor
within. For couples, good silence is more acceptance withhold or inhibit themselves

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any more than tears of joy can hold example, at one end Keller (2003) reminds
themselves back; but secret feelings of hurt us of the terrible silence in the incapacity to
or harm often hide behind self-inhibition of sense social contact, versus the comfort left
reply. behind when social needs are silenced. At
Silence is a nonverbal form of the other, Sidransky (2006) reminds us of
communication with a nonverbal language. the terrible inner cacophony in the capacity
Postural signals often form the semiotics to sense sound when there is no sound to
shared by participants in silence. Postural sense. Silence is like a crucible that tries our
silence is like a force of expectation that patience, leaving only an unpredictable
puts pressure on one side of the semantic paradox behind.
conversation, and indicates hostility or Thomas Carlyle (1997) had a lot to
disagreement (SheKnows, 2014). This kind say about silence; for one, that there are just
of pressure can induce palpable, two things which are impossible: to forget
physiological anguish. Or, the language of something you know, and to ignore silence
silence can indicate something profound has without saying something. He used phrases
happened, inducing respect, contemplation, like under “cover of silence” (p. 59), a
or awe. Well-known is the tradition of darkness, a secret, a persuasion to yield and
taking a moment of silence to welcome an cease trying, the tumult after death, flood, or
empty span among the hectic ones, to allow plague. In silence the plans of unseen things
silent empathy to overflow the width of are knit together in hidden gestation, and an
moments normally afforded. Nonverbal unspeakable cunning bides its time until
silence can cast a pallor of disdain, by not surprise is assured. In silence is meaning
replying to someone expecting acceptance between the concepts of what is latent and
or at least tolerance. Additionally, an what is manifest, and creatures often find
effective listener can employ silence to their only path to expression in it. For
express a volume of positive regard that Carlyle, silence was at once a virtue and a
welcomes any outgoing expression at all lack of that, depending on whatever
(Rogers, 1961; Wittig, 2001). This kind of anticipating listeners were last expecting.
unspoken communication indicates empathy Luna (2014) reminds that we can
and compassion, two hearts sharing the come face to face with silence while utterly
burden of one. Therapists often make alone, too, and that is a different kind of
effective listeners. silence. We will do anything to shut out the
silence, run from the silence—by putting our
Idioms for Silence: A Deafening Lack of hands over our imaginations and avoiding its
Sound beckoning meditation. Suddenly devoid of
Language has its peculiarities, and stimulation, the air is filled with noise from
silence is peculiar. Our expression “the somewhere deep inside us. Solitary silence
silence is deafening” is a paradoxical twist requires that the sole listener do something
of reason. Silence cannot be heard, and the about it. The more consoled we were, the
deaf could not hear it even if it could. There more non-seeking of conversation we were
is a curious lack of corresponding words like before we became alone, the more
silence among the other human modalities inconsolably seeking we will become when
(e.g. the darkness is blindingly bright, or the we find ourselves suddenly alone (Kübler-
lack of aroma is intense). Perhaps it is Ross & Kessler, 2005).
because silence implicitly suggests both
ends of a spectrum of sensory need. By

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Silence: Because what’s missing is too absent to ignore
Nonverbal Silence, Emphasis, or “microbehaviors” articulate in least visible
Disambiguation time a fine control of emotional
It was Mehrabian (1981) who (dis)ambiguation, either intentional, which is
suggested that as much as 90% of commensurate, or unintentional. The latter
communication is nonverbal when trying to occurs when breaches in the social mask
express like or dislike (Mehrabian & Ferris, permit the disconsonance, between honest
1967). Nothing is more nonverbal than but hidden feelings and dishonest but
silence, and nothing is more silently manifest words, to circumvent conscious
nonverbal, than lack of behavioral reply. image management. Investigative sciences
Nonverbal behaviors can be used to such as forensics document the effort to
communicate lack of response, emphasize a micromanage nonverbal behavior, while
verbal response, disambiguate a verbal detectives and interrogators seek to uncover
response, or misdirect interpretation of an malingering and dissembling (Harold &
apparent meaning. This form of silent Hall, 2001).
message can either mask or reveal intent These subtle cues in facial
(Swami, 2013). Hopkins (n.d.) explains that musculature, eyes, limbs, or posture allow
strategic explicit interruptions of verbal human visual pathways to function like the
communication, silence itself, can provoke air between an oral source and a pair of
feedback nonconsciously, and the relative listening ears. Surrounded by silence, the
presence or absence of either speech or urgent peripheral senses need to be filled
gestures can be minimal or nil, and still from somewhere, so that communication
constitute an expectation of contribution. He may actually continue in silence as the
also relates that kinesics (nonverbal anticipative party seeks any clue at all in the
communication) are eerily similar to audible posture of the other. This pause between the
languages. capacity and incapacity to interpret social
The purpose of language seems signals can be disconcerting enough to
simply an urgency to communicate emotion; trigger inner disquiet similar to nociceptive
efferent feelings come out in body or voice, signals (pain) that ache and ache
and the symbols we use seem more like (SheKnows, 2014). Silence is the ostracizing
airborne stimuli with the power to of the contribution most needed by some
disambiguate signals when they arrive, locus of urgency; it is the exclusion of the
rather than purely for the sake of fundamental feeling of want from the
unemotional, factual data (Ekman, 1998). possibility of ever being perceived, so long
Silence then, does not mean emotion has as this silence pervades and trauma’s
stopped, only that the carrier wave is volume grows in its stead (Berkeley, 1979;
unmodulated right now (either visually or Zadro, 2013). Nothing is more nonverbal
audibly). Ekman (1998) shares that the than silence, and nothing is more silently
eeriness extends to the level of subliminal nonverbal than a lack of any disambiguating
detection; microexpressions in the face can gesture.
occur so briefly neither party of the
conversation notes them consciously, Culture - Silence Grows
despite having exchanged them through How is silence a culture, and how
facial musculature. Darwin (1872) wrote of can something insubstantial grow? Silence
the connection between emotions and often grows like a question in a petri dish, or
expression long ago, and how many species a void that guesses fill. Once it has been
share emotions without words. These here, silence cannot go away. It is almost

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like a culture of discomfort that blossoms in beckoning is finally here. While it is not, our
the dark, or a city where things deferred in own inner voices rush upward and argue
youth may grow up to be permanently over what should be here so that
ignored at maturity. It is like the dawn of an consciousness does not seem to like a void
absent sun and the diurnal presence of (Capps, 2011; Jonsson, Grim, & Kjellgren,
absent light. Silence, perhaps, is the negative 2014; Rüedi-Bettschen et al., 2006). In Zen,
equivalent of space and time. a word stemming from the absorption of,
and being absorbed by, awareness; the
A Rift in the Meaning of Here silence before the first sound that breaks that
What is silence? How can we silence is like the realization that semantic
contemplate something which is not intercourse has been happening in secret,
present? It might help if we first ask birthing its offspring into the open and into
ourselves, what does “present” mean? The the light (Zin, n.d.). Perhaps this is why
Western concept of “the Present” is very silence makes such an effective means to
exteroceptive, what time this is, and what elicit information from another.
place this is. Awareness of noise or din, of Pilgrim (1986) reveals that the
light or sound, in time or space, organized or Japanese word ma stems from the concepts
chaotic (according to James, 1950), is what mon (gate or portal) and tsuki (sun or moon),
we call Presence. Lulls, which are like the shafts of dawn’s light suddenly
unexplained intervals of quiet, are bridging the gap between the light and the
unwelcome impediments to the goal- dark, the known and the unknown. This
focused, time-urgent, Western vigilance, epoch of ma symbolizes the boundaries at
which become frustrations if these the edge of reason, where this silent but very
unexplained epochs are not quickly claimed “visible” interval between meaning and
by actions (pre-selection for action, perhaps, hope of meaning becomes a void that must
extending Allport, 1987). be filled. Silence then, when we are
But in Eastern thought, “Presence” is expecting sound, is a rift in the meaning of
very interoceptive, and the gaps between here.
things hold the power of and over thought,
not the things themselves (Laozi & Mitchell, In the Presence of Absence
2004). As Mulford (2011) would say, Looking back on his own existence,
thoughts are things, too. In Japanese Darwish (2011) presciently gave us the
thought, the concept called ma is something phrase “in the presence of absence” in the
between things, between this moment and poignant title of his work. In one of the two
the next (Pilgrim, 1986). Ma describes a most prominent insights shared by their
force of presence which is neither now nor author (the other being positive psychology),
here, and yet its duration is so indescribable Seligman (1967) revealed that the absence
and its presence so unavoidable, this of something does not make it go away. In a
“negative space” called ma has more power dissertation exploring the phenomenon of
in its unseen silence than any visible din. learned helplessness, the author found a far
Ma, like the Western word for silence, more significant helplessness any of us can
describes a state of time and space which is become subjects of, waiting for the arrival of
indescribably indivisible (Iimura, 2002). The something once present, but no longer
power of this quiet which envelops present. In that paper the thing awaited was
awareness forces us to listen, until the still, a zone of safety and comfort, but the insight
small voice of silence that we know is also revealed that Absence is a thing, a very

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Silence: Because what’s missing is too absent to ignore
present thing. During the awareness of silent intervals represent very simple
Absence, lots of things are present—those misunderstandings, provision time for
anxious drives within urge us to guess what recalculation and rephrasing, or are simply
should be present, but is not present. In the the result of inner translation. As Iimura
fashion of Frankl’s paradoxical intent (2002) and Pilgrim (1986) explained with
(2006), the urgency induced by sudden regard to the Ryoan-Ji garden short film
awareness of the Absence of something subject, the Eastern custom of permitting
results in its constant arrival to awareness. In gaps (ma) in the rush of life express respect
contrast, the initial awareness of the and introspective focus. The sense of
Presence of something results in the absence elicited from silence in Western
eventual absence of our awareness of it, as culture, though, creates a cultural rift not
urgency ebbs away. The Presence that unlike ma itself, during which parties must
Absence brings to this constant upwelling of discover the missing meaning. To add to this
motivations, to figure out what, exactly, is silent confusion, there is a sort of
not present, is the basis of the power of comorbidity of intercultural differences
silence. when it comes to intracultural differences,
too. The female gender in some societies
Culture of Silence and Silent Cultural may be even more latent and reticent than
Differences their male counterparts, for example.
As with any gathering of clans from By reason of the fact that much of
the ancient past to modern times, the social life is spent at work, businesses have also
and cultural trajectories that diverged developed cultures of their own. According
between gatherings diverged with respect to to Verhezen (2010), moral silence can be
the culture of language and silence as well. bad for business, resulting in anonymous
Native Americans, for example, differ from complaints and word of mouth which fill
many other Americans, in that the latter are these silences with lessened employee or
direct and perceive verbal pauses during customer loyalty. The author suggests
discourse as awkward, whereas the former integrating open dialogue and corporate
view verbal delays as necessary, and governance, instead of the awkward
directness as improper behavior for unspoken things which might be filled
discourse (Heit, 1987). Fujio (2004) variously with less positive guesses. A
explains that pauses and stops during culture of silence, as with more extreme
communication can mean vastly different forms such as groupthink, discourages the
things to different cultures. Rhythmic timing creative self-doubts that lead to positive
beneath language communicates different change and group growth.
things in different languages (Euler, 2013). Sometimes the presence of silence is
In the American culture, directness and lack silently interpreted (or misinterpreted) as
of pauses are expected to ensure progress opposition or passive avoidance, as Fordham
during business meetings. In Japanese (1993) shares with regard to minority group
culture, however, such directness is attitudes which are seen as threatening by
considered impolite, and pauses are the majority or its representatives. Coplan,
interjected to allow respectful intervals of Hughes, Bosacki, and Rose-Krasnor (2011)
meditation and reflection, or to express explain that educators may perceive
uncertainty politely. Fujio (2004) relates that externalizing, disruptive students as merely
these pauses are received with frustration in need of behavioral remediation, whereas
and discomfort by Americans. Often these internalizing, shy students may be perceived

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as unintelligent due to their non- If nature is “calling us” from the
responsiveness. Fischer (2006) suggests that silence, maybe we “hear it” beneath
the deafening silence of student apathy may awareness, in our more ancient processes?
be the result of differing learning styles, Subjacent to efforts like Shinrin-yoku, are
however, and the need to add variety may the concepts biophilia and vagal theory. The
alter the silent channel-changing of student famous Erich Fromm (2010) described
attentions when the educator changes biophilia, the love of life-like or living
channels actively. things, as the positive opposite of
necrophilia, the love of death-like or
Negative Space Can Become a Positive mechanical things. In some primeval trace
Silence of what it means to be human, there seems a
The ma concept suggests non-space memory of abundance versus scarcity; there
and non-time, a negative space not quite seems a memory of love of life, rather than
here, like a vacuum on the far side of a dark avoidance of death. This life focus,
and fuzzy looking glass (SciTechDaily, biophilia, still persists within, but requires
2013). How can space be negative? How can we rediscover our natural beginnings,
the need for time accumulate as negative outside the hectic din and confusion of
hours? Negative space-time does not always urban life that distracts us and makes us
mean negative affect; sometimes (like ma) it fearful, frustrated, and selectively possessive
is a positive invitation in our busy schedules and defensive.
and anxious lives to seek and recover the Perhaps as human beings we miss
stress-free beginnings we began with. our wanderlust, and need to get lost again so
Though silence seems personal, we can find undiscovered, undescribed
silence is also societal, as exemplified by the personal meaning again, that place where
ability of certain societies to embrace the courage and worth can still be sought and
healing and restorative effects of silence earned (Zilcosky, 2004). It could even be
(such as in the Japanese culture which that the repetition-compulsion mentioned by
practices Shinrin-yoku). Practitioners are Freud and elaborated on by Fromm (like
encouraged to “forest-bathe” allowing Freud’s Thanatos to Fromm’s necrophilia),
nature to enter their body through all five is a cognitive distortion seeking escape from
senses, and to embrace the peace and quiet the lack of some singular affective
of the forest (Shinrin-yoku, 2014). At the fulfillment in a multiplicity of unfulfilling
present time, Japan hosts 53 official Forest substitutes. This natural biology, Darwin
Therapy trails with a goal of having 100 of affirmed, is toward an uncountable variety
these trails by the year 2022 (INFOM, of infinite uniques which find survival in
2014). The physiological anthropologist, being non-similar and unpredictable. Yet
Yoshifumi Miyazaki purports the “back-to- anxious society requires persons and
nature” theory which states that humans outcomes be as similar and predictable as
evolved in nature so that is where we feel possible to plan for the survival of its
the most comfortable. When we are urgently artificial conception of nature, an
deprived of that natural contact or anxious frequency of predictable similars,
immersion in nature, our psychological and instead of an unpredictable plural of
physiological functions do not function joyously differential potentials (Darwin,
properly (Bum Jin, Tsunetsugu, Kasetani, 1876).
Kagawa, & Miyazaki, 2010). Maybe nature Perhaps the three-body problem of
is silently calling us home. chaos theory fame, like fractals in nature, is

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Silence: Because what’s missing is too absent to ignore
nothing more than a hidden purpose experience of emotional consciousness that
practicing imperfectly self-similar collision Craig (2008) terms the global emotional
avoidance, by forces respecting one moment. Lee, Dolan, and Critchley (2008)
another’s struggle to variety (Andrews, contribute that this authentic self must
2013)? Fromm suggested that this dual suppress itself and its manifest responses to
nature has but one urgency, to survive. He avoid perturbing an anxious social curve of
also believed that the crucial condition to emotional expectation, creating a frustrated
develop biophilia (love of life) was to be agency attempting to perceive itself and be
immersed in an environment that fosters the perceived, but inhibited from doing either.
love of life during critical human lifespan Just as there can be external silence when
development. When reach is afforded ears neglect voices, there can be inner
positive social scripts to role-play and silence when perception neglects itself.
become the persona that cannot wait to live To be complete, technological
life, reach is disafforded opportunities to options do exist to monitor and learn from
acquire negative scripts that fear the loss of biofeedback, in contrast to natural transit of
life when anxiety and urgency call waterscapes, forest settings, mountain
(Holzman, 2014). Perhaps biophilia speaks meadows, and grasslands. Garten (2011)
to us in the language of environmental offers a neuroscientifically tested
silence when we pause to reflect on nature. biofeedback system which can provision
Like Shinrin-yoku, biophilia alone is meditative alleviation of stress conditions,
a necessary but not a sufficient condition for without leaving an urban area. However,
the feedback needed to dispel stress and many also caution that supplanting the
elevate well-being. For learning and growth, natural world with the artificial will come at
for revision of unhealthy thoughts, feelings, a cost. Though adaptation will continue
and behaviors, the conscious being must despite the silent loss of our capacity to
have an interoceptive feedback level. This discriminate this accelerating divergence of
visceral, perhaps polyvagal proprioceptive humanity from its nature, the love of living
feedback confirms well-being and things will not, becoming sublimated by the
disconfirms malaise, by unavoidable craving for mechanistic affection
appreciation of the accelerating approach of (necrophilia and technophilia). Authentic,
positive affect and accelerating departure of biological agency will quietly fade from
negative affect (Garland, 2013). It is about memory and not be missed, like soft rains
survival; Porges’ polyvagal theory suggests with no one left to appreciate them
we have a (silent yet “audible”) drive and (Bradbury, Leialoha, Woods, & Woods,
feedback system for affectively fulfilling 2002; Kahn, Jr., Severson, & Ruckert,
social engagement. However we also have 2009). Whether subsumed in and by nature,
an intrinsic sympathetic/parasympathetic or consumed by its pursuit in urban situ,
feedback system to alert us to danger knowing thyself may help turn the silent,
(fight/flight). The conflicting goals of these negative space of deferred natural attentions
two require we be mindful of interoceptive into positive fulfillment and private, positive
feelings so we can accommodate the needs time.
of both. Tsakiris, Long, and Haggard (2010)
argue that body ownership is experienced in The Manifest Purpose of the Absence of
a conflict between the anterior cingulate Explanation
cortex (ACC) and anterior insula (AI), Purpose seems to be latent, whereas
which becomes a phenomenological the struggle for hidden purposes to be

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perceived and acknowledged seems very absent reply. Silence communicates
manifest (Berkeley, 1979). It appears that in meaning by invisibly inducing an
the continuing absence of explanation we ambiguous need to find it, just as speech
begin to seek the purpose of it, so that it has communicates meaning by attempting to
a chance to become manifest to all. visibly disambiguate each prior word,
Otherwise, we just assume the most obvious spoken or unspoken. The manifest purpose
reason is the last one uttered. Spinoza of the absence of explanation is that it so
(according to Damasio, 2003), called this easily defeats our own purposes.
hidden purpose conatus; Berkeley (1979)
called it the need to be perceived. Freud Prejudice - Silence Hurts
(1920) called it the latent needing to be How can silence hurt? Silence can
manifest. Recently, Panksepp (2010) called separate the need to belong from its hope of
this unending default exigency SEEK. In this belonging. Silence can communicate the
seek mode, humans perceive meaningful urgency not to communicate. Silence can
shapes in inkblots, clouds, even slices of hide in voices no one can hear, or foster
bread (Hadjikhani, Kveraga, Naik, & whatever social suspicions require to quietly
Ahlfors, 2009; Kleiger, 2012; Zimmerman, fuel conflicts.
2012). According to an insightful analysis
by Du and Montiel (2013), the kinds of Ostracized by Silence
latent questions we seek within and between Abraham Maslow’s (1943) hierarchy
manifest stimuli are: of needs, which has found rich adoption in
 Was this to communicate or many disciplines, describes a fundamental
miscommunicate something? need, just above the fundamental
 Was it for good or for ill? physiological needs of food and drink and
 Was it to heal or to wound? durations of those supplied by security and
shelter, called belonging. Belonging is a
 Was it to cloak or to reveal?
hunger inherent to being human, being
 Did it signal accord or discord?
accepted, being loved and needed. Maslow
 Did it mean we should contemplate
felt it so important he added an extended
or avoid contemplation?
version of this need above the apex of his
 Was it for courtesy or impact?
famous pyramid of needs. In transcendence
 Was it a cultural accommodation or
the individual ceases to fret over belonging
to show disdain for culture?
at all, because (as Kohlberg described) the
 Was it meant as a “projectile” aimed
Self becomes subsumed in the needs and
to inflict discomfort and await
satisfactions of the All, and one is as much
agreement, or a lowering of defenses
the other (Koltko-Rivera, 2006). In a society
to welcome treaty?
of such belonging, to be ostracized by
 Is this silence here to remove
silence is to lose access to a need as
argument and bring us together, or to
fundamental as food and drink, security or
push the other away with an
shelter. Marginalization by the group to
unapproachable argument?
which the Self finds its identity fulfilled is
The common purpose of either
akin to physical pain, just as physical pain
speech or silence, hides in the fact that
would follow inaccessibility of food, water,
humans use the same anticipative process to
or warmth (Gerber & Wheeler, 2009).
interpret one or the other (Du & Montiel,
Group rejection has a long history,
2013). Silence is when we do not respond to
from the Greek practice of writing a feared
need, and need is more present than its

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