By Hu Wo (Cuckoo’s Song)
People must have got the benefits of staying quiet. Firstly, the less anyone speaks, the fewer mistakes they tend to make. Consequently, they seldom get into ‘debt of words’; that is, they do not need to keep many promises simply because they are not given.
As all of us know, there is a famous saying, `Silence is golden’. Speaking as Myanmar, silence is worth a thousand, of course. Some people can be found to stay quiet as usual. In particular, they have a laconic manner, i.e. they do not always speak a lot in any situation. Those people often include the aged and the educated. Almost all the aged have had lots of life experience, and they would like to share this experience with the next generation. But sometimes, they do not express a desire to tell their experience in life, possibly because of poor health or any circumstance that they cannot speak out first-hand experience. Naturally, the very educated do not talk about their theoretical and practical experience unless that experience is needed to do so, except working for the love of it sometimes.
There may be several reasons arising from the fact that many people, especially those aged, do not blather in any case. Some people themselves are not garrulous due to their inborn genes, gender, family life, or the environment. A number of people who are not talkative have liked saying something short and to the point even since their childhood. A good few people want to be loquacious but bashful but keep quiet about anything, though. Speaking of gender differences, boys do not commonly0020 waffle as much as girls. Quite a few families would love to stay calm at all times, but they are apparently unconcerned about their food, clothing, and shelter more than needed. Those families are given to pass on this stability to their new children as well. A peaceful and quiet environment or neighbourhood makes the people around it feel an atmosphere of tranquility.
People must have got the benefits of staying quiet. Firstly, the less anyone speaks, the fewer mistakes they tend to make. Consequently, they seldom get into ‘debt of words’; that is, they do not need to keep many promises simply because they are not given. The hardest debt to pay back in the world involves the words irresponsibly spoken, we should know. Secondly, they can save their energy as much as possible by sitting still – in other words, they will not be flatulent. In that case, they do not need to quarrel with anybody, whether strange or close. Lastly, they will be able to control their temper very quickly by remaining silently and can be subsequently regarded as a man of great calmness. Normal people like to blench and show respect for a person of emotional maturity even when they come across him.
Any person should not stay calm in all affairs that they are facing unquestionably. He must not keep a problem quiet, and he has to find a solution for certain. As Shin Maha Ratthasara, who was a great laureate in the Innwa Era of Myanmar, wrote, everyone ought to say something that he still has the responsibility and accountability to do so. Only an animal called a man is capable of deciding which is right, wrong, suitable, or inappropriate. People must be made to take notice of what is right versus what is wrong sometimes. Besides this, they can be provided a chance to choose what is suitable as well as avoid what is inappropriate. Not every matter should be unknowingly skipped by thinking about the saying, ‘Let bygones be bygones’. If not so, undesirable neglect gives rise to bitter regret and even physical, mental or both breakdowns.
In fact, staying quiet might come out as a habit that is made possible by anyone. We had better stay away from the states that do not directly relate to us, or else we will get involved in these potentially confused states for no apparent reason. If we wish to stay quiet for sure, we should live in total silence for as many hours as we can. As long as we remain silent, we will get used to it sooner or later. Next, the people who keep quiet are loved by most people, the way I see it. As the saying goes, living silent is supposed to indirectly tell a bit of someone’s acknowledgement of having done wrong. But in some cases, hanging in the balance, it would be better to say no words or, at the very worst, be lost for words to somebody. Those who keep still, especially boys and women, can get respected in a fierce way. In the main, staying quiet ought to give us all grace and glow one way or the other.
