Silence is only frightening to people who are compulsively

Host: The evening was quiet, with the last slivers of light slowly fading from the sky, casting the room in the soft glow of dusk. The air was cool, the wind outside rustling the leaves of the trees. Jeeny sat at the table, her hands gently resting on the surface, her eyes focused inward. Jack, standing near the window, was staring out, his gaze distant, the soft light outlining his figure. The room felt still, heavy with unspoken thoughts, like the world outside had momentarily paused to listen.

Host: The room seemed to hold its breath, the silence deepening as both were lost in thought. Finally, Jeeny broke the quiet, her voice gentle but filled with clarity, as if the words had been waiting to be spoken for some time.

Jeeny: “I was thinking about something William S. Burroughs said: ‘Silence is only frightening to people who are compulsively verbalizing.’ Do you think that’s true, Jack? That silence can be so uncomfortable for people who are afraid to just be present with themselves?”

Jack: He turned slowly, his eyes narrowing, clearly considering her words. “I get what he’s saying, but I don’t know if I completely agree. Silence can be uncomfortable, sure, but that’s not always a bad thing. Sometimes, silence is the space you need to think, to really process everything. It’s not necessarily about verbalizing all the time, but more about being comfortable with the quiet. The real problem is when we fill the silence with noise, because we’re avoiding something deeper.”

Jeeny: Her gaze remained steady, but there was a quiet intensity in her voice. “Exactly. Silence isn’t the issue, Jack. It’s how we respond to it. Some people are so afraid of being alone with their thoughts that they constantly talk, constantly fill the space with words that don’t always carry meaning. Silence forces you to face what’s inside, and for a lot of people, that’s terrifying.”

Jack: His posture shifted, his arms crossed slightly, a faint smirk playing at his lips, though there was a subtle recognition in his expression. “But maybe that’s what we need more of — to sit in silence without feeling the urge to fill it. Maybe we’re so used to being in motion, constantly talking, constantly busy, that we forget the value of just being present in the moment. But still, isn’t there a certain comfort in talking, in being able to express everything that’s going on?”

Jeeny: She exhaled slowly, her eyes softening as she spoke. “I agree, Jack. Communication is vital, but it shouldn’t be a constant distraction. Silence is where we find our truths, our deepest thoughts. When we don’t verbalize everything, we give ourselves space to actually listen — not just to others, but to ourselves. It’s easy to hide behind words, to avoid the hard conversations with our own hearts. But silence forces you to face what you’re trying to avoid.”

Jack: His eyes softened, the skepticism in his voice fading as he began to understand her perspective. “I see what you mean. It’s about the space to think, to really process everything. Silence isn’t something to be filled, it’s something to be embraced. We’re so used to constantly needing to speak that we forget the power of just listening — listening to ourselves, listening to the world.”

Jeeny: She smiled softly, her voice gentle but filled with quiet satisfaction. “Yes. Silence isn’t empty; it’s full of possibilities. It’s the moment when we can hear what really matters, when we can connect with our deepest selves. Sometimes the most profound things come from just being still, from giving ourselves the gift of quiet.”

Host: The room had grown quieter still, but now the air felt lighter, as though a new understanding had settled between them. Jack stood by the window, his gaze thoughtful, the weight of their conversation settling in, while Jeeny sat, her presence calm and serene. The night had fully taken over, but inside, there was a sense of peace, a quiet clarity in the realization that silence wasn’t something to fear, but something to embrace.

Jack: “I guess I see it now. It’s not about filling the silence, but about allowing ourselves to just be present, to listen — both to ourselves and to the world around us.”

Jeeny: She smiled, the understanding between them clear and mutual. “Exactly. Silence is the space where we can truly hear, not just the noise of the world, but the voice within us.”

Host: The night outside had deepened, but inside, the room was filled with a new kind of quiet. Jack and Jeeny had found a shared understanding — that silence was not something to be filled with words, but something to be embraced. It was in the stillness that they found not emptiness, but clarity — the space to truly listen and to truly connect. As the evening closed, there was a sense of calm — a recognition that sometimes, the most profound things are found in the quietest moments.