Quiet as Commodity

In the 20th century, Americans allowed themselves to become dependent on foreign oil and a great deal of darkness ensued; wars and Wahhabism being two of the worst. That dependence turned out to be self-inflicted. We had the resources in our own homeland all along.

I am concerned that in the 21st century, Americans have been so dependent on the entertainment industry that we are once again empowering bad people (or at least bad ideas) to have an outsized influence in the world. The producers of media, social and otherwise, are the 21st century house of Saud— propped up by a strange dependency to a resource they monopolize.

If we could simultaneously reduce our need for entertainment by finding inner peace and grow in our own confidence and competency to produce our own art, then the sheiks of Silicon Valley & Hollywood would have a far less captive audience.

The first trick is to grow comfortable with the quiet.

Blaise Pascal once said that, “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”

Why are we so afraid of the quiet?

Because God is there.

As is honesty and death.

And the best stories.