Perception Of Silence Essay

Perception of Silence Personally this course has been powerful for me since it made me realize the complexity of labeling one’s self and attempting to understand others around you. This classroom space was both comforting and scary at the same time. I felt threatened and fearful when I look around and realize there is one or two people that I can personally relate to. It feels scary enrolled in such a large institution; yet feel lonely and perhaps misunderstood. So to escape from being worried and concerned, I decided to say silent. I was afraid my peers will generalize my viewpoints across people of different color, and creed. Each culture and individual brings his or her own talents, skills, and unique experiences to the classroom. So to

I remained silent, so that I will not use my voice to tell the story of others who are both similar and different from me. I remained silent to refrain from playing the victim of our society’s systematic corruption. I figured in his space perhaps very few people will understand my comments; hence, the rest will assume that I am addressing issues that have been discussed in the past and that they are not individually responsible for those corruption. One time, I was discussing with a classmate regarding race and culture in our society. She bluntly responded, “ Yea, I see some flaws in the system, but people of color often use the race card to get away with things”. Then she said, “I think people should own and be responsible for their problems, rather than blaming others.” I often hear these kind of sentiments and it makes me want to stop addressing issues because I do not want to make myself weak, inferior and a victim in the eyes of

Thankfully, after this discussion, I was able to relax and realize that in fact, this is one of the safest spaces for me to share my opinions. Honestly. I do not feel threatened or afraid anymore. In fact, with this activity, I realized my own bias and prejudice thoughts. This activity empowered me to use my voice when needed. I am glad that I took the initiative to discuss this matter with you in person after class. As a result, I was able to learn about why my peers stayed silent and what we can do to break the silence when necessary. It is through this class session that I learned silence can be a blessing or a curse. Sometimes it is better to stay silent and absorb the information before saying your input. This way, one can internalize the message of the texts, ponder, and reflect on the text. However, if I stay silent when voices are going off my head, then it can cause division amongst us because I will neither benefit my peers, nor learn from their lived experiences. Sometimes prolonged silence can cause discomfort and a divide between peers. My role of silence has drastically shifted. I am more than happy to engage in intense topics even though I am aware most of my classmates have not lived or walked in my shoes. I am not afraid to say what is on my mind. I personally want to thank you for allowing me to rethink and recognize my own