Silence

A couple of weeks back, I went back to my hometown, Calcutta. Quite by chance actually, I happened to meet my first 'boss.'

As a teenager, I used to volunteer in Sri Aurobindo Library. Some of my fondest memories are nestled there, amidst the endless rows of books and the smell of worn out pages. My 'boss' was the librarian there and was responsible for ensuring the well being of the books as well as the members.

Probably because of his association with the library, he almost had a reverence for silence. Once or twice, I remember asking him something in hushed voices, when he stopped me and asked me to write down my questions. I found this behavior rather weird and wrote (yes, I am a fast learner!) "Why shouldn't we speak?" I still have the piece of paper on which he scribbled "Speak only when your words can better the silence." I was 14 and of course, I thought this was the most absurd advice I had ever received.

Fast forward a decade and half, and I have chanced across this saying (in different words) quite a few times. I cannot emphasize the relevance of these words! When I first joined the corporate world, my responses were more like knee jerk reactions. When I started to analyse, I realized about 80% were words I could do without. Not only that, it lessened the impact of whatever I was trying to convey.

Nowadays, whenever I think of speaking or writing something, the first question I ask myself is "Would it be better if I kept quiet?" In most cases, it is. It's of course also because, my experiences are limited. I have gained much more by listening to others speak, express their opinions, share their extensive experience and so on.

I thanked my 'boss' this time around for his invaluable words.

P.S. The irony of sharing this on social media is not lost on me.