Being Still
During conversations, I like to reflect on what was said or think through what I’ll say next. This sometimes leads to pauses and silences. Some people find it awkward, most admire that I’m comfortable with silence.
The fact that I’ve been complimented by this suggests that it isn’t common. There’s the idea of awkward silences, where silence is seen negatively. There has to be constant chatter, constant activity. Instead of taking time to think, someone will speak whatever’s on their mind to fill the void.
Western society seems to have this pervasive fear of stillness. We’d rather scroll on newsfeeds than feel bored. We’d rather listen to the newest pop album or a Joe Rogan podcast than listen to silence. We’d rather dance to loud music where we can’t even hear ourselves think than spend a night alone. As a society, we choose overstimulation, we choose productivity, we choose entertainment, rather than silence, emptiness, and solitude.
Hayao Miyazaki on the Meaning of Emptiness
Eastern culture shares a different relationship with emptiness than its Western counterparts. This is seen through legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli films. His films have a sort of “gratuitous motion” where instead of every movement being dictated by the story, sometimes people will just sit for a moment, or they will sigh, or look in a running stream, or do something extra, not to advance the story but only to give the sense of time and place and who they are. In a 2002 interview with Roger Ebert, Miyazaki comments on the importance of emptiness in his films:
“We have a word for that in Japanese,” he said. “It’s called ma. Emptiness. It’s there intentionally.”
He clapped his hands three or four times. “The time in between my clapping is ma. If you just have non-stop action with no breathing space at all, it’s just busyness, But if you take a moment, then the tension building in the film can grow into a wider dimension. If you just have constant tension at 80 degrees all the time you just get numb.
American filmmakers are “afraid of silence”, says Miyazaki. They fear that the audience will get bored and get some popcorn. Thus, they create films that bombard the audience with non-stop action to keep them “entertained”. This is in contrast to Miyazaki’s philosophy where pockets of stillness are essential. Similarly, pockets of stillness are essential in everyday life.
Claude Debussy famously said, “Music is the space between the notes.” This is as true for music as it is for life. However, our industrialist society ties our self-worth to our productivity. We have to make more money, learn new skills, and waste no time. Hence our culture's fetishization of productivity porn and hustle culture. But we aren’t machines. We aren’t meant to produce around the clock. Emptiness, boredom serve a purpose. Through emptiness we experience silence. Through silence, we quiet the noise and distraction of our outer and inner world. And when our outer and inner worlds are silent, then we can think for ourselves. We become nonconformists, resisting the tyranny of the masses. And cease to become followers but become leaders instead.
Creating Pockets of Stillness
Western society is beginning to recognize the value of stillness with its recent fascination with mindfulness and meditation. This is a big step forward. Meditation trains us to be present and being present is key to cultivating pockets of stillness within our lives.
Whether that be meditating, daydreaming, or riding a bike to nowhere this all has a purpose. Next time you’re dining out with a friend, be present, listen intently, and embrace silence. Next time you’re idle, resist the urge to pull out your phone and bask in the glory of the moment instead. Next Friday evening, don’t feel obliged to go out. A night in over a cup of tea can be just as enjoyable.
The more we cultivate stillness, the more we’ll hear, see, and understand. That solitude doesn’t mean loneliness. That emptiness is plentiful. That silence sounds beautiful.
My Favorite Things (Summer 2021)
MOVIE
ARTICLE
Your Human-Size Life - Dave Winer
SONG
Honourable Mention: By This River - Brian Eno
ALBUM
QUOTE
Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind. - Anthony Bourdain
BOOK
PODCAST
The Beginning of Infinity - Naval
VIDEO
What Are You Doing With Your Life? The Tail End - Kurzgesagt
POEM
Keep Going by Edgar Guest
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must—but don’t you quit.Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up, though the pace seems slow—
You may succeed with another blow.Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor’s cup,
And he learned too late, when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.Success is failure turned inside out—
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit—
It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit.
Personal Updates
It’s been a few months since I last released a newsletter here's what I’ve been up to:
Completed my 3B and 4A term of Computer Engineering, one term left until I graduate!
Lived in Montreal during the Summer and had an amazing time!
Made a few updates to my site including a new Compilations page.
I’m working remotely in Toronto for a construction technology startup this Fall!
A reminder: you can reply to these emails :) They go straight to my inbox.
Until then ✌️
James