Photo credit: nicollazzi xiong
by Jeanine Botta, MPH, Co-founder, The Quiet Coalition
A persistent myth about noise is that only affluent people value quiet, and want to ruin the fun for everyone else. When I saw the title in National Geographic, “How silence became the newest luxury lifestyle,” I thought the article would explore that topic. Or, that author Stephanie Vermillion would profile people who travel to the quietest places on earth. Instead, I found myself reading a carefully researched piece about people from all walks of life finding creative ways to spend time in silence.
The people profiled in Vermillion’s article are from a broad range of ages and cultures. They are not traveling in search of silence but are instead trying to find it close to home, both alone and with others. In contrast with another myth about noise and quiet, many of those seeking quiet are young adults. Regardless of age or cultural background, those who value time spent in quiet understand its importance to their health.
Vermillion refers to a “quiet counterculture” in the United States, describing those who spend time walking, doing various kinds of retreats, hiking without talking and participating in silent book clubs. Anyone interested in finding activities involving quiet, silence or no talking can use Meetup and Eventbrite and use “quiet” and “silent” as key words. At any given time, you may find silent book clubs, groups for silent hiking and quiet writing and reading.
