Silence Is Golden

Many studies of American culture tell us that we are suspect of deliberative speech. Somehow the advice, "Think before you speak," is lost on recent generations (read: lost generations) of Americans.

Richard Hofstadter's book, Anti-Intellectualism in American Life , makes the argument that, in spite of our access to higher education, Americans view cosmopolitan types as more tricky, deceitful and dishonest than their less sophisticated counterparts. In fact, education (meaning to 'lead out' of ignorance) actually makes matters more complicated (read:nuanced) than they seem at first blush (or "Duh," as it were.) Pedestrian existence doesn't suffer contra-dictions ("yes, but..." or "Yet, on the other hand...") well. 

So what is the solution? George M. Foy in his book, Zero Decibels: The Quest For Absolute Silence, writes:

"...it's tempting to invoke here the traditional Greek logic that denies substance to an absence, versus the ability of more oriental traditions to accept not only that absence (and silence) can have import, but that it can hold several contradictory meanings at once."

In other words, silence is golden. To paraphrase the good Book: Better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.

As such, I thank you, interested readers, for your silence (no comments); but need to let you know that I have kissed the Blarney Stone. Therefore I, himself, will continue to expound blarney, which has been defined as 'the ability to tell people to go to Hades and make them look forward to the journey'.

Pull up a chair; it's time to Eat My Oats and Clear Your Constipated Mind.