Words that express concepts
One of the varied paradoxes we are facing in this modern era is that while the third millennium envisaged a world with limitless communication, more open conversations, and an exuberance of connections, we have entrenched ourselves with a cluttered and anchored mind, feeling more isolated than ever. Loneliness is becoming one of the sufferings of our time.
In a sphere with endless communication we -ironically- often complain about those who do not listen, who speak with indifference or hostility. We basically complain about the lack of consideration from others. This may indicate that our capacity for dialogue has been diminished. Most of the time, our daily conversations are distracted and mundane, words are thrown away to fill an empty space, an awkward silence. Conversations may be vanishing into obscurity.
Theodore Zeldin, in his book An Intimate History of Humanity, states how it is inevitable that many conversations end up being fruitless; indicating that after centuries of experience, humans are still so awkward, rude, and inattentive in conversations, with most of Westerners brought up to regard silence as unfriendly. Zeldin claims that conversation is still in its infancy.
Zeldin points out that the first known conversationalist was Socrates, who introduced the idea that individuals could not be intelligent on their own, but needed someone else to stimulate them. Before him, the model for all speech was monologue: the wise man or the god spoke and the rest listened. But Socrates had been studying science and was left with the feeling that he would never know what to believe. His idea was that if two unsure individuals were put together, they could achieve what they could not do separately: they could discover the truth, their own truth for themselves. By questioning each other and examining their prejudices, dividing each one of these into many parts, finding flaws, never attacking or insulting, but always seeking what they could agree between them, moving in small steps from one argument to another, they would gradually learn what the purpose of life was. He demonstrated how dialogue worked, questioning artisans, politicians, and people of all callings about their work and opinions, leading the discussion to what those words meant.
However, Socrates’ brilliant thesis may be fading away; as it seems that we have lost our capacity to examine our prejudices, to truly exchange our thoughts, to express our fragilities, and complexities. We have reduced our dialogue to a mere interchange of digital words, where we hide behind a screen.
Conversation is, undoubtedly, a source of nourishment. But, for a conversation to be meaningful, it requires a healthy communication, it requires the talent of talking to each other with respect, as well as being aware of the impact that our words may have on others. Perhaps to regain the mastery of conversation we may need to learn the art of Ma.
Ma is a Japanese word that expresses a concept often described as the space in-between, the interval, and the silence. It is the unoccupied pause that allows elements to breathe, creating a sense of harmony and balance.
Ma may be the momentary pause in speech needed to convey meaningful words. It is the stillness; we need to feel and connect; it is the interval which gives shape and meaning to the whole. Ma may provide us with an intuitive understanding in a silent pause, it may help us in our attentive listening and thoughtful observation, which can be even more valued than speaking to simply fill an uncomfortable silence.
Ma invites us to appreciate the power of stillness and silence, not as mere absence but as a fundamental and meaningful part of our experience, whether in a conversation or in any other aspect of our daily lives.