silence
American Heritage Dictionary:
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si·lence
(sī'ləns) 
n.
n.
- The condition or quality of being or keeping still and silent.
- The absence of sound; stillness.
- A period of time without speech or noise.
- Refusal or failure to speak out.
- To make silent or bring to silence: silenced the crowd with a gesture.
- To curtail the expression of; suppress: silencing all criticism; silenced their opponents.
[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin silentium, from silēns, silent-, present participle of silēre, to be silent.]
Roget's Thesaurus:
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silence
noun
- The avoidance of speech: dumbness, muteness, speechlessness, wordlessness. See words.
- The absence of sound or noise: hush, noiselessness, quiet, quietness, soundlessness, still, stillness. See sounds/pleasant sounds/unpleasant sounds/neutral sounds or silence.
verb
- To cause to become silent: hush, quiet, quieten, shush, shut up, still. See sounds/pleasant sounds/unpleasant sounds/neutral sounds or silence.
Antonyms by Answers.com:
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silence
n
Definition: absence of sound, speech
Antonyms: clamor, communication, noise, sound, talk
v
Definition: make or be quiet
Antonyms: amplify, be noisy, communicate, make noise, talk
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Silence in the course of an analytical session, whether it comes from the patient or the analyst, has constantly posed problems for the theorists of psychoanalytical technique.
According to certain authors, silence is to be interpreted as a resistance (Karl Abraham, Sándor Ferenczi, Sigmund Freud, Wilhelm Reich, Otto Fenichel, Anna Freud, Stephen Weissman). Edward Glover was the first to emphasize the counter-transferential positions involved in it, and noted the role of the super-ego. Karl Abraham, Sándor Ferenczi, Edmund Bergler, Ella Sharpe, Robert Fliess and Kata Levy make of it a particular mode of instinctual expression, while Rudolph Loewenstein and Leo S. Loomie approach it as the translation of a distortion of the ego. Silence has also been studied as an object relation by Jacob Arlow (defense or discharge) and by Ralph Greenson (resistance or communication), as an object relation properly speaking (Carel Van der Heide, Meyer A. Zeligs) and as a particular mode of object choice (Robert Barande).
According to Freud ("The Dynamics of Transference," 1912b, p. 101): "If a patient's free associations fail, the stoppage can invariably be removed by an assurance that he is being dominated at the moment by an association which is concerned with the doctor himself or with something concerned with him. As soon as this explanation is given, the stoppage is removed, or the situation is changed from one in which the associations fail into one in which they are being kept back." And elsewhere, in "The Theme of the Three Caskets" (1913f, p. 295): "in dreams dumbness is a common representation of death." He also says in "Remembering, Repeating and Working-Through" (1914g, p. 150) that when the patient "is silent and declares that nothing occurs to him," this, "of course, is merely a repetition of a homosexual attitude which comes to the fore as a resistance against remembering anything," while Sophie Morgen-stern, in "A Case of Psychogenous Muteness" (1927), gave us the first work known in France to use drawing, in place of speaking, as a method of child analysis.
Other authors have added to these views: silence is "a state of restoration of primary narcissism, it is the realization of desire" enabling one to "re-experience narcissistic omnipotence" (Pierre Luquet, Béla Grunberger), or a sign of "good maternal care that provides the ego with a silent but vital support" (Donald W. Winnicott). The sense of the ego's inability to mask instincts from the super-ego in discourse may explain the very frequent silences that are encountered in child therapy. In the analytical couple, of whatever kind, "the support of the amorous exchange as the patient lives it is indeed silence [. . .] It's within the crucible of the therapist's silence that the patient's spoken words will be revealed as fantasy" (Robert Barande).
Luisa de Urtubey, in her report on the "work of the counter-transference" (1994), sets out the theories of a great number of authors who discuss silence. For her, "silence—as well as speech, its interpretations, its emphases, the links it weaves—is the expression of counter-transference in this analytical space and at this precise moment." Pearl Lombard expresses an aptitude for the silent maternal counter-transference: "speech is silver, silence is golden" ("The Silence of the Mother, or: Twenty Years Later", 1986). She remarks that "a succession of images wells up in the analyst's mind as she or he accompanies a silent patient: astonishment, anxious questioning, an experience of depression and an obligation to imagine if we are to survive, but also if our patients are to survive psychologically. There are long periods in which the exchange between patient and analyst, although it is very intense, happens in both directions, in the mysterious depth of silence. The way these analyses evolve depends to a large extent on the existence of counter-transferential movements that are sufficiently intense to arouse representations of highly personal images or things, related to the analyst's narcissism—representations that can invigorate the treatment only insofar as they can be linked and bound to a moment in the patient's history, either in narrative form, or in the shape of images visualized on the basis of that narrative. Thus the vital bridge between word representations and thing representations is created or recreated in the analyst himself or herself. This bridge is highlighted by interpretation, the invigorating effect of which fulfils the silence and makes it speak."
The evaluation of "silence" is possible only if each case—patient and analyst—is taken on its merits.
Bibliography
Barande, Robert. (1989). Parcours d'un psychanalyste, son esthétique et son éthique. Paris: Pro-Edi.
Freud, Sigmund. (1912b). The dynamics of transference. SE, 12: 97-108.
——. (1913f). The theme of the three caskets. SE, 12: 289-301.
——. (1914g). Remembering, repeating and working-through (Further recommendations on the technique of psycho-analysis II). SE, 12: 145-156.
Green, André. (1979). Le silence du psychanalyste. Topique, 23, p. 5-25.
Lombard, Pearl. (1986). Le silence de la mère ou vingt ans après. Bulletin de la Société de psychanalyse de Paris, 9, p. 33-48.
Nasio, Jean-David. (1987). Le Silence en psychanalyse. Paris: Rivages.
Urtubey, Luisa de. (1994). Le travail de contre-transfert. Bulletin de la Société de psychanalyse de Paris, 31, p. 147-148.
—PEARL LOMBARD
Word Tutor:
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silence
IN BRIEF: Absence of sound and noise.
Silence is sometimes the best answer.
— The Dalai Lama.
LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!
Quotes About:
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Silence
Quotes:
"Soon silence will have passed into legend. Man has turned his back on silence. Day after day he invents machines and devices that increase noise and distract humanity from the essence of life, contemplation, meditation. Tooting, howling, screeching, booming, crashing, whistling, grinding, and trilling bolster his ego. His anxiety subsides. His inhuman void spreads on like a gray vegetation."
- Jean Arp
"From politics it was an easy step to silence."
- Jane Austen
"Silence is the virtue of fools."
- Francis Bacon
"An inability to stay quiet is one of the most conspicuous failings of mankind."
- Walter Bagehot
"It is more noble by silence to avoid an injury than by argument to overcome it."
- Francis Beaumont
"I shall state silences more competently than ever a better man spangled the butterflies of vertigo."
- Samuel Beckett
See more famous quotes about Silence
Random House Word Menu:
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categories related to 'silence'
- Sound, Hearing, and Deafness - silence: absence of sound; stillness
- Practice, Discipline, and Belief - silence: peaceful, meditative tranquility conducive to spiritual attainment
See crossword solutions for the clue Wikipedia on Answers.com:
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Silence
For other uses, see Silence (disambiguation).
Silence is the relative or total lack of audible sound. By analogy, the word silence may also refer to any absence of communication, even in media other than speech.[1] Silence is also used as total communication, in reference to non verbal communication and spiritual connection. Silence is also referred to no sounds uttered by anybody in a room and or area. Silence is a very important factor in many cultural spectacles, as in rituals.
In discourse analysis, brief absences of speech mark the boundaries of prosodic units used by speakers. Silence in speech can be the result of hesitation, stutters, self-correction, or the deliberate slowing of speech for the purpose of clarification or processing of ideas. These are short silences. Longer pauses in language occur in interactive roles, reactive tokens, or turn-taking.
According to cultural norms, silence can be interpreted as positive or negative. For example, in a Christian Methodist faith organization silence and reflection during the sermons might be appreciated by the congregation, while in a Southern Baptist church, silence might mean disagreement with what is being said, or perhaps disconnectedness from the congregated community.
Deaf people function in a completely silent culture.
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Contents
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Gestures
Placing the index finger in front of closed lips is the most widely recognized gesture of silence. The gesture can be used to demand silence without raising one's own voice. The rose, sometimes depicted clasped by or on top of closed lips, is another well-recognized symbol of silence stemming from various mythologies.
In Western cultures, it is sometimes difficult to interpret the message being sent by a person being silent (i.e. not speaking). It can mean anger, hostility, disinterest, or any number of other emotions. Because of this, people in Western cultures feel uneasy when one party is silent and will usually try their best to fill up the silence with small talk.
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This article may contain original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding references. Statements consisting only of original research may be removed. More details may be available on the talk page. (May 2011) |
In music
Main article: Rest (music)
Music inherently depends on silence in some form or another to distinguish other periods of sound and allow dynamics, melodies and rhythms to have greater impact. For example, most music scores feature rests denoting periods of silence.
Some composers take the use of silence in music to an extreme. 4′33″ is an experimental musical work by avant-garde composer John Cage. Though first performed on the piano, the piece was composed for any instrument or instruments and is structured in three movements. The length of each movement is not fixed by the composer, but the total length of the combination of three movements is.
In debate
Argumentative silence is the rhetorical practice of saying nothing when an opponent in a debate would expect something to be said. Poorly executed, it can be very offensive, like refusing to answer a direct question. However, well-timed silence can completely throw an opponent and give the debater the upper hand.
An argument from silence (Latin: argumentum ex silentio) is an argument based on the assumption that someone's silence on a matter suggests ("proves" when a logical fallacy) that person's ignorance of the matter. In general, ex silentio refers to the claim that the absence of something demonstrates the proof of a proposition.
In law
The right to silence is a legal protection enjoyed by people undergoing police interrogation or trial in certain countries. The law is either explicit or recognized in many legal systems. Violation of the right to quiet enjoyment is a common law tort.
In danger
Joseph Jordania suggested that in social animals (including humans) silence can be a sign of danger. Many social animals produce seemingly haphazard sounds are known as contact calls.[2] These are a mixture of various sounds, accompanying the group's everyday business (for example, foraging, feeding), and they are used to maintain audio contact with the members of the group. Some social animal species communicate the signal of potential danger by stopping contact calls and freezing, without the use of alarm calls, through silence. Charles Darwin wrote about this in relation with wild horse and cattle.[3] Jordania suggested that human humming could have played a function of contact calls in early human ancestors in order to avoid silence.[4] According to his suggestion, humans find prolonged silence distressing (suggesting danger to them). This may help explain why lone humans in relative sonic isolation feel a sense of comfort from humming, whistling, talking to themselves, or having TV/radio on without attending to it.
In spirituality
"Silence" in spirituality is often used as a metaphor for inner stillness. A silent mind, freed from the onslaught of thoughts and thought patterns, is both a goal and an important step in spiritual development. Such "inner silence" is not about the absence of sound; instead, it is understood to bring one in contact with the divine, the ultimate reality, or one's own true self, one's divine nature.[5] Many religious traditions imply the importance of being quiet and still in mind and spirit for transformative and integral spiritual growth to occur. In Christianity, there is the silence of contemplative prayer such as centering prayer and Christian meditation; in Islam, there are the wisdom writings of the Sufis who insist on the importance of finding silence within. In Buddhism, the descriptions of silence and allowing the mind to become silent are implied as a feature of spiritual enlightenment. In Hinduism, including the teachings of Advaita Vedanta and the many paths of yoga, teachers insist on the importance of silence, Mauna, for inner growth. Perkey Avot, the Jewish Sages guide for living, states that "Tradition is a safety fence to Torah, tithing a safety fence to wealth, vows a safety fence for abstinence; a safety fence for wisdom..... is silence." In some traditions of Quakerism, silence is an actual part of worship services and a time to allow the divine to speak in the heart and mind.[6] Eckhart Tolle says that silence can be seen either as the absence of noise, or as the space in which sound exists, just as inner stillness can be seen as the absence of thought, or the space in which thoughts are perceived.
See also: vow of silence
Silent Prayer in Hinduism
In Hinduism, Om chanting[citation needed] is considered as silent prayer.
The easiest way to get touch with this universal power is through silent Prayer. ... Perfect prayer does not consist in many words, silent remembering and pure intention raises the heart to that supreme Power. Shut your eyes, shut your mouth, and open your heart. This is the golden rule of prayer. Prayer should be soundless words coming forth from the centre of your heart filled with love. .... Silence is the language of Om. We need silence to be able to reach our Self. Both internal and external silence is very important to feel the presence of that supreme Love. [7]
Commemorative silence
Main article: Moment of silence
A common way to remember a tragic incident and to remember the victims or casualties of such an event is a commemorative moment of silence. This usually means one or more minutes of silence, in which one is supposed to not speak, but instead remember and reflect on the event. A commemorative silence may be held at a workplace, a school, and similar institutions. Sometimes a government will advertise a commemorative silence for a specific period at a specific time, which everybody is encouraged (but not forced) to honor. One such example is after the events of 9/11, and on its anniversary several years afterward, when many governments around the world announced 3 minutes of silence in respect of the victims of the event[citation needed].
See also
References
- ^ http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/silence
- ^ Macedonia, J. (1986). Individuality in the contact call of the ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta). American Journal of Primatology, 11, 163-179
- ^ Charles Darwin (2004). The Descent of Men. London: Penguin Books. pg. 123.
- ^ Jordania, J. (2009). Times to Fight and Times to Relax: Singing and Humming at the Beginnings of Human Evolutionary History. Kadmos, 1, 272–277
- ^ See Stephen Palmquist, "Ontology and the Wonder of Silence", Part Four of The Tree of Philosophy (Hong Kong: Philopsychy Press, 2000. See also "Silence as the Ultimate Fulfillment of the Philosophical Quest", Journal Hekmat Va Falsafeh, (Journal of Wisdom and Philosophy), Issue 6 (August 2006), pp.67–76.
- ^ Britain Yearly Meeting, "Quaker Faith and Practice" Third Edition, 2005 (?), sections 2.01, 2.12–17 etc., The Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Britain, London, ISBN 0-85245-375-2 / ISBN 0-85245-374-4
- ^ Amit Ray, Om Chanting and Meditation, Inner Light Publishers, pp. 55-56, ISBN 81-910269-3-7
External links
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Look up silence, taciturn, or quiet in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
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Translations:
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Silence
Dansk (Danish)
n. - stilhed, tavshed
v. tr. - bringe til tavshed
Nederlands (Dutch)
stilte, zwijgzaamheid, tot zwijgen brengen, het stilzwijgen opleggen
Français (French)
n. - silence
v. tr. - réduire au silence, faire taire
Deutsch (German)
n. - Schweigen, Stille, Geräuschlosigkeit
v. - jemanden zum Schweigen bringen, dämpfen
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - σιγή, σιωπή, αποσιώπηση, παρασιώπηση, εχεμύθεια
v. - (κατα)σιγάζω, επιβάλλω σιωπή, φιμώνω
Italiano (Italian)
far tacere, quiete, silenzio
Português (Portuguese)
n. - silêncio (m), esquecimento (m), sossego (m)
v. - silenciar, acalmar
Русский (Russian)
тишина, безмолвие, забвение, отсутствие сведений, заставить замолчать, утихомирить, преодолевать (сопротивление), заглушать
Español (Spanish)
n. - silencio
v. tr. - hacer callar, silenciar
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - tystnad, tysthet, tystlåtenhet
v. - tysta ned, få att tystna, få tyst på
中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
沉默, 静寂, 无声, 使沉默, 使安静, 使哑口无言
中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 沈默, 靜寂, 無聲
v. tr. - 使沈默, 使安靜, 使啞口無言
한국어 (Korean)
n. - 침묵, 소식 두절, 망각
v. tr. - 침묵시키다, 진정시키다, 죽이다
日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 静けさ, 静寂, 沈黙, 無言, 黙っていること, 音信不通
v. - 黙らせる, 静かにさせる, 封じる
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) سكوت, صمت, سكون (فعل) يسكت
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - שקט, דומייה, שתיקה
v. tr. - השתיק, היסה, התקין משתקול ברובה או בצינור-פליטה
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International Dictionary of Psychoanalysis. Copyright © 2005 by The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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