침묵을 소실한 세계, 고요가 그리워지다 [.txt]

The world today is filled with noise. Powerful individuals wage wars, and the voices of conflict and hatred never cease. In the echo chamber where we listen to the same voices, we accumulate arrogance and prejudice. Even the noise of construction is not insignificant, and finding a quiet place is akin to finding a rare star in the sky.

In modern times, silence seems as elusive as gold. The 12th book in the 'Knowledge Accumulation O' series, titled 'SILENCE', offers much inspiration for those living in a world where silence is disappearing. The writer, John Bethany, a novelist and playwright, has penned works such as 'The Cave' and 'The Torturer's Apprentice', as well as the short story 'Rose', which won the O Henry Prize.

Bethany once said, "Silence is now a commodity." He then cites airports' lounges as the prime examples of this. Surrounded by the sleekness and noise of terminals, these spaces are classified as hierarchical. On the other hand, silence can also be an art form. There are artworks dedicated to silence, as well as those that recreate it.

In Lawrence Stern's novel, the author urges readers to visualize a widow in their own minds before the white paper becomes silent with the protagonist. John Cage's avant-garde American musician's '4 minutes and 33 seconds' is a work where the performer remains silent, not playing. In the quest for peaceful and quiet everyday life, where can one find 'silence' and 'quiet'? Today, the absence of these feels like a longing.