In a world full of noise, silence is a revolutionary act. It is not the absence of sound – it is the presence of oneself.
Silence in Humanistic Pedagogy
Rudolf Steiner taught that children need phases of silence to process their experiences. Maria Montessori created quiet spaces where children could encounter themselves. Amonashvili called silence "the language of the soul".
In our courses at the Humanistic School, children and adults experience what it means to simply be – without task, without goal, without expectation.
The Fear of Silence
Many people fear silence. They fill every pause with music, podcasts, news. Why? Because in silence, one's own thoughts become louder. And sometimes these thoughts are uncomfortable.
But precisely there – in this discomfort – lies growth.
An Exercise: The Silence Experiment
Try spending one hour a day in silence. Not meditating, not sleeping – simply being still. Cook in silence. Walk in silence. Sit in silence.
After a week, you will notice: silence is not empty. It is full.