February 3, 2023 by Brian Weiner No CommentsChanging The World One Thought At A Time., Lessons From The Mountain

Meaningful silence is always better than meaningless words.

Meaningful silence is always better than meaningless words.

It is an interesting social phenomenon, that the more comfortable you are with another human being, the more comfortable you can be in their presence, without a word spoken.

In most relationships, we are continually working to keep the flow of conversations consistent. That is part of the getting to know one another process. There are continual exchanges of information and queries about each other’s world, such that both parties are learning about each other, bonding, and developing a rapport.

But have you ever been in a conversation with somebody that continually is talking, yet nothing of consequence is being shared? In these situations, we find ourselves painfully listening to whatever it is that they are sharing, but as the relevance of what they are speaking about becomes less important to us, our attention span wanes.

We have learned that it is polite to stay engaged in the conversation, but some conversations are so one-sided and so boring, we are hard-pressed to keep our attention span, because our overall response would be, “who cares?“

Our ability to communicate with others effectively and efficiently is one of the greatest skills that life affords us. When we get to a point where we are confident in our mastery of this, we are that much more willing, and desirous of engaging with others, for we have mastered the art of conversation.

Yet, none of this can compare to the nonverbal communication that happens when you are standing side-by-side with someone that you really care about and perhaps watching a beautiful sunrise or sunset. The unspoken moment is overwhelmingly powerful. The sense that both parties have in sharing something of magnitude is one of the more bonding qualities in life.

Understanding the difference between meaningful and meaningless conversation and silence is one of the delicate arts of becoming a truly present human being with whom everyone else would appreciate spending time.

Happy Thursday!

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Written by Brian Weiner

When I was 5 years old, I discovered that the lemon tree in the backyard + dixie cups + water and sugar and I was in business. I have been hooked on that ever since. In 1979, I borrowed $14,000 to create a brand new product... photographic greeting cards with no text on the inside, called Paradise Photography. That was the start of The Illusion Factory. Since then, The Illusion Factory has been entrusted by all of the major studios and broadcasters with the advertising and marketing of over $7 billion in filmed, live, broadcast, gaming, AR, VR and regulated gaming forms of entertainment, generating more than $100 Billion in revenue and 265 awards for creativity and technology for our clients. When I took a break from film school at UCLA to move to Hawaii, my mother did not lecture me. Instead, she took 150 of her favorite aphorisms and in her beautiful calligraphy, wrote them artistically throughout a blank journal. That is the origin of the Lessons from the Mountain series. Since then, on my journeys to the top of a mountain to watch the sunrise, I have spent countless hours contemplating words of wisdom from the sages of all races, genders and political persuasions, constantly accumulating the thoughts to guide me on my life path. I hope you enjoy my books. Please let me know your thoughts, as I highly value your feedback!