"It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool,
than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt." Abraham Lincoln.
Abraham Lincoln certainly had the right idea on the power of silence. There are many quotes recording from President Lincoln talking about the wisdom that is necessary to remain silent. Apparently today the world lacks a lot of wisdom... Today silence seems to be a trait that very few individuals possess, especially the people of the younger generations. I distinctly remember some of the best advice I was ever given growing up, "silence is golden." At the time, I did not understand what this meant. In fact, I was a rather argumentative little child that got in trouble often for saying more than I should. It was not until I got a little bit older that I truly understood why there is so much power in silence, why it really is golden.
Silence is a sign of strength, not weakness. Many people feel the need to defend every single thing they do, never willing to lose an argument. When we learn to remain silent, our actions speak for themselves. Today, a lot of people get themselves into a lot of trouble for voicing their opinions resulting in foolish accusations and consequences. Words are said to add fuel to the fire, so the stronger man will choose to remain quiet for the benefit of himself and others,
Silence demonstrates wisdom, while talk generates foolishness. Have you ever noticed that the people who have a lot to say oftentimes are the most foolish people you know? A lot of times people feel the need to voice their opinions which are exactly that, opinions. Stating your own thoughts doesn't make them factual. The wisest man is the one who remains silent and listens to all the people around him.
Silents generates peace, words fan the flames. Let's just state the obvious, a lot of what is going on in the media lately is bad, but a lot of the problems we are still seeing are flames that have been fanned by people who want to fuel the controversy. Until we as a nation learn the power of silence, the flames are going to be continually fanned until they destroy our faith in humanity altogether. Imagine a world where instead of using harsh words we all remained silent, I think the world would be open to a lot more kindness instead of hate.
