Is the sound of silence a sound?

Question

If yes, then what's the opposite of sound?


i know silence is the absence of sounds, isn't that a sound however?

Answer 1

The Sound of Silence

Hello, darkness, my old friend
I've come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision
That was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence

In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone
Beneath the halo of a street lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed
By the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence

And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never share...
And no one dare
Disturb the sound of silence.

"Fools," said I, "you do not know
Silence like a cancer grows."
"Hear my words that I might teach you,
Take my arms that I might reach you."
But my words like silent raindrops fell,
And echoed in the wells of silence.

And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made.
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming.
And the signs said: "The words of the prophets
Are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls,
And whisper'd in the sound of silence."

I can't say it any better than did Paul Simon.

Answer 2

The only true silence is the grave or the unconscious state. The human mind in total silence makes it's own sounds, we are gifted that way. Because we can dream, think, reason, and even retreat in silence, the mind however can play a symphony. Our thoughts become noise. Ever had a song you can't get out of your mind? Try that in total silence, the song can intensify and every note becomes clearer with no distractions.

Answer 3

A sound is something that makes vibrations that we hear through our ears. Silence is the absence of these vibrations. So silence can't be a sound. The word "silence" however is a sound ( we say it).

Answer 4

It's called audiology; where nothing is completely silent in actuality. What the human mind perceives as silence is none other than high pitches of frequencies. I read on this in college a long time ago.

Answer 5

The sound of silence is silence.

Answer 6

As the colors of the rainbow are contained within sunlight, so to are all words & sound are contained within silence. "Abide in Silence", This was the new years message for 2002, from Swami Chidvilasananda. She said "to abide in Silence is to abide in your true nature. Give yourself this Gift". She also said "If I am in my heart and you are in your heart we have union in the heart of God." I find this to be true. You can order cd's or video's from syda.org/theguru. Click on bookstore.

Answer 7

I don't enjoy silence. When it is too quiet, I say or think, This silence is deafening". I think it is called "The sound of silence".

Answer 8

NOW we could GET severe. i think of confident!! reason EVEN WEN YOU CANT hear ANY SOUND ,IT does no longer propose there is SILENCE. human beings CAN purely hear SOUNDS OF FREQUENCIES 20-20,000 kHz ANY SOUND OUT OF THIS selection would be SILENCE FOR YOU(&for each typical HUMAN) yet ,SOUND continues to be THERE.

Answer 9

Silence "sounds" weird. I don't know how to describe it. It seems so.....loud.

Answer 10

In my opinion opposites are illusions. No so called opposite is completely devoid of what it is supposed to be the opposite of. All is one.