September Blog - Rhian Sage

I’ve never considered myself someone who particularly enjoys argument or confrontation, which is why when I initially read the quote, “It challenges us to remember always that our silence implies our consent, our consent to be dominated by someone else’s worldview; we must communicate our hopeful realities into being”, I in a way disagreed with it. However, the more I was able to unpack the concept of silence as a form of communication, the more I realized that speaking up for what you believe in doesn’t qualify as argument nor confrontation. Refusing to be silent in a situation you care about simply solidifies your refusal to give consent to being a player in the game of someone else’s worldview. There are so many misconceptions about the way we communicate because a majority of what we are actually saying to the world doesn’t necessarily come out of our mouths.

Every single day we speak through silence whether we realize it or not. Noticing when this is happening is something I found myself struggling to identify if I was not completely focused on doing so. After some closer consideration and observation, I realized just how much my silence sends a message to other people on a very regular basis. I’m glad I found this quote when I did because it seemed to align greatly with events on our campus and other college campuses recently.

After events in our own quad this week, I was intrigued to see this photo on my Instagram timeline from students at a different school. It didn’t take me long to recognize what their signs meant or what their purpose was, and I was really moved by that even though I am not typically one to argue politics or openly voice my opinion on social issues. Because of my reflection on the way being silent displays your opinions on a subject, I actually felt a sense of pride that I was friends with people who refused to be quiet about an issue they were passionate about. These women didn’t leave their opinions free to float around in their own brains, guarded from ever making an impact on anyone outside their own life, they spoke up and broke the silent, “it’s whatever, I don’t care” attitude trend.

There is something to be said for people who have the confidence and determination to, as the quote suggests, “communicate our hopeful realities into being”. One of the greatest powers in life is the ability to inspire others, and this photo inspired me. This isn’t to say that I’ll be the next protestor in the campus quad, but it does mean that in the future I will focus my energy into speaking for what I believe in. Being a bystander and passing by every day occasions as if they aren’t happening doesn’t help myself or others; it is my goal to break free of the hidden consequences that accompany being silent. As individuals we are responsible to monitor our communication as contributors to and members of society, and this certainly includes not only what comes out of our mouth, but what doesn’t ever leave our lips as well.