Does silence make people uncomfortable?
Cheyanne Schimmel
2025-06-29 11:08:46
Count answers
: 10
Silence can be unsettling, even awkward—but why does it make us so uncomfortable. Silence triggers our brains to fill in the gaps. When a conversation pauses unexpectedly, our minds start racing: Did I say something wrong? Are they bored? Should I say something to break the silence? Many people equate silence with disinterest, rejection, or even tension. We assume that if someone isn’t talking, they must be thinking something negative about us. We’ve been taught that conversations should flow smoothly. Long pauses disrupt that rhythm, making us feel self-conscious. Many people feel uncomfortable with silence because it creates uncertainty in social interactions. Our brains are wired to interpret social cues, and when those cues are missing, it can lead to feelings of awkwardness or anxiety.
Cathryn Price
2025-06-29 08:17:28
Count answers
: 5
Silence filled the air, the tension started to thicken. I was tempted to fill the gap with my own words, my own thoughts. The rule of awkward silence states: When faced with a challenging question, instead of answering, you pause and think deeply–for 5, 10, or even 15 seconds or more–about how you want to answer. In that meeting, if I had given into temptation and started speaking, I would likely have done one or more of the following: Swayed the direction of the discussion, Stifled critical thinking, Prevented shy or reticent individuals from sharing their thoughts. Over time, I realized this was exactly what I was doing when I spoke up, filling those “awkward silences” with my own voice, instead of allowing others to find theirs. At Amazon, Jeff Bezos takes up to 30 minutes at the beginning of meetings to have his team read printed memos in complete quiet. Author Jared Curhan, faculty director of Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Behavioral Research Lab, found that silences of between 3.5 and 9.5 seconds greatly increased the potential for a breakthrough in negotiation. Make sure that everyone knows extended periods of quiet are not only OK, they’re valued–because they will contribute to getting the best out of everyone.
Dagmar Stroman
2025-06-29 07:05:33
Count answers
: 7
We as a human race are very uncomfortable with silence. Whether you are at a restaurant with friends, listening to a lecture or simply having a conversation with a friend, I sense there is an underlying pressure that most people feel to fill the space of silence. You perceive a void and feel responsible for creating some sort of response because the silence makes you squirm in your mind and body. Just check it out for yourself, sit in a quiet room, with a clock or watch that has a second hand, and don’t say anything for thirty seconds, just listen and be present with the silence permeating your presence. Notice how long that small duration of time feels when there is total silence. How did it make you feel, what did you notice, where did your mind and thoughts go.
Read also
- Is it OK to be quiet in social situations?
- What is silent walking?
- Why do I go mute in groups?
- Is it unhealthy to not socialize?
- What is one word for walking quietly?
- What is stealth walking?
- When a talkative person goes quiet?
- What mental illness is avoiding eye contact?
- How to tell if someone has no friends?