The sound of Silence

I went to see Blue Man Group last night. It was amazing! I love the show! For those of you who do not know what Blue Man Group is, it is a show involving three men who are painted blue. They don't speak, but they play drums with paint and do different skits. They are completely silent through out the show. It is an amazing show, and my description does not do it justice. As much as I would love to go on and on about how truly fantastic this show is, my post is not about them.

I would like to discuss the audience. I don't understand why people as a whole can not embrace silence. Throughout the whole show people would shout out during the skits. Why do you feel your commentary is necessary? Don't get me wrong, I laughed out and said some things to Alan, but the people in the audience just couldn't grasp the fact that these men will not speak. I am not going to say that it took away from the show, but it was an annoyance.

It got me wondering. Why are people so afraid of silence? Why must every moment be filled with mindless chatter? Sometimes, silence can do a world of good. We all know the famous scene in Pulp Fiction when they discuss this. It is a great scene, and a great point. I think it is important to just shut up every once in a while. I am not saying this in a rude way, I am saying it because I think people are so anxious to fill a quiet gap with noise that they forget to take in that quiet moment.

For example, the ends of movies. Sometimes I am just too touched or too moved to discuss it right away. I want it to sink in to my head. Everyone is so anxious to run out of the theater before it the quiet sets in. That is my favorite part. The part when it's over and you have that moment to really take in your emotions and feel them completely. I think silence is under respected and people are too focused on filling voids with mindless nothings and you forget that you are supposed to have time to feel.