I remember receiving hate mail saying, "Tell this talking Trappist who took a vow of silence to shut up!" Though silence is a traditional part of their lives, Trappists take no such vow. Maintaining silence (to increase contemplation) does not by itself rule out communication (which they do in sign language). I had an answer for the hate-mongers: "Writing is a form of contemplation.

If our life is poured out in useless words, we will never hear anything, will never become anything, and in the end, because have said everything before we had anything to say, we shall be left speechless at the moment of our greatest decision.

Silence is not broken by speech, but by the anxiety to be heard.

My life is a listening, His is a speaking. My salvation is to hear and respond. For this, my life must be silent. Hence, my silence is my salvation.

I have learned now that while those who speak about one's miseries usually hurt, those who keep silence hurt more.

If you don't say anything, you won't be called on to repeat it.

You never really learn much from hearing yourself speak.

After a few months without writing, months I've lived turned outward... I fear going deaf, not being able to hear the silence.

She learned to bear her troubles alone and with dignity, convinced no one was interested in other people's problems, and that pain borne in silence eventually evaporated.

Blessed is the man who, having nothing to say, refrains from giving wordy evidence of the fact.

Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and can't and the other half who have nothing to say and keep on saying it.

Little things affect little minds.