A Moment of Silence, Please

Grace Kerina — Fri, 01 May 2009 19:43:20 +0000

When I talk with highly sensitive people, I’m often struck by the length of their pauses before speaking. If their brains are like mine, what’s going on is an intense sorting of all the possibilities, scanning and deciding which of the many things that could be said will be said.

Sure, I love the banter of a quick-witted exchange now and again, and I can usually hold my own in such cases, but I also feel a deep relief when in conversation with someone who shares my great respect for the mind-organizing pause. In fact, I’m often more eager to hear what a pauser will say, because I know they’re crafting a response to fit the situation, digging for layers, weighing options, and preparing to deliver thoughtfulness.

I want that. I crave the deep response mined from the earth of the silent pause.

“Certain cultures, such as that of the Inuit Alaskan Indian tribes, have embedded into their linguistic structure a pause. It is natural to simply wait. Think it out. Then speak.”
~ Gary Seigel, The Mouth Trap

Flickr photo: The Moment, by seanmcgrath.

highly sensitive power » Language

A Moment of Silence, Please