You Need Silence.
It's hard to come by.
The world makes too much noise.
It never makes enough sense.
Everyone wants your attention. Everyone's got something to say, even if they don't know what. Our technology encourages everyone to speak and act before they've taken any time to think. In this loud world, full of outrage and pain, often tinseled in insta-joy, there's something to be said for not saying a single word.
Just sit.
In his 2020 book Silence in The Age of Noise, Erling Kagge describes silence as "the new luxury." Studies have shown that silence can trigger neurogenesis, the growth of new neurons in the brain. It can lower your blood pressure and promote healing. And yet, it's the one thing you're discouraged from doing. Nobody in your life, except maybe one or two people, will ever leave you alone long enough to do it.
Good luck finding silence if you live in a city. There's neighbors and their music and their dogs. There's cars. There's stereos. Even in the suburbs, there's lawnmo…