From “What Makes You Come Alive: A Spiritual Walk with Howard Thurman” by Lerita Coleman Brown
In addition, many people today actively avoid silence to the point of leaving electronic devices or the television on all day and night. Simply being alone without a smartphone, tablet, or computer feels, to them, like a severe penalty. When we attempt to quiet the outside a well as the inside chatter, unpleasant thoughts and feelings can arise. When I talk about the benefits of a silent retreat, many people shudder and say they could never do that, as the silence and solitude would feel too unsettling.