Yury Molodtsov

COO and Partner @ MA Family where we help tech companies make news

About Me
Twitter ↗
Threads ↗

Your Inner Voice and the Value of Silence

Recently I’ve been feeling that constantly putting on AirPods and pumping spoken words into my ears might be too much. There’s nothing wrong with being bored and enjoying the silence for a bit. But most importantly, it feels like both music and podcasts tune out your inner voice, that intra-cranial conversation people have which generates ideas and inspiration.

May 28, 2022

Despite my interest in certain genres of music throughout my life, I’ve slowly realized that I don’t really like listening to music much. I do listen to it in the car, but generally, I prefer music in social contexts, enjoying some beats with my friends, whether we’re in my living room or at a 25,000 people rave. But I don’t really listen to it when I work or when I relax.

Podcasts, on the other hand – I do love podcasts, whether I’m walking my dog, doing some exercises, or cleaning the dishes. Without them, most of those menial tasks feel empty as if I’m just wasting my time when I could learn something. I subscribe to shows covering technology, my hobbies, such as racing and F1, and reviews of all kinds of brand-new media content ranging from TV series to video games.

But recently I’ve started feeling that constantly putting on AirPods and pumping spoken words into my ears might be too much. First, there’s nothing wrong with being bored and enjoying the silence for a bit. But most importantly, it feels like both music and podcasts tune off my inner voice, that intra-cranial conversation people have where we get ideas and inspiration. I can recount so many times when I was working on a particular problem, couldn’t crack it at the desk but suddenly realized the mistakes I made while simply walking on the street.

Social media might add to that. It’s just something so antagonistic to meditation and active thinking. Nothing wrong with being connected with your friends and people you’re interested in. But it’s also the most affordable and attainable dopamine you can get. Blindly scrolling through a seemingly endless feed doesn’t mean you stop thinking. Yet I do think it blocks your inner dialogue from going into more interesting places.

Comment on Twitter
life

If you liked this post, subscribe to get new content right in your inbox

Recent Posts

November 28, 2024
My Holiday Gift Guide

Here are some gadgets that I really enjoy. Buy for yourself or your friends!


November 26, 2024
On Getting Older

Contemplating the changes, both good and bad.


October 30, 2024
Omnivore is Dead: Where to Go Next

Omnivore was the best read-later app for most people, and it became popular because it was free. Unfortunately, that is also the reason why it failed.


October 22, 2024
Apple Doesn't Make an iPad for Me

I'm frustrated with Apple's current iPad lineup because there isn’t a good replacement for my aging 2018 iPad Pro. While the newer models have expensive accessories and better chips, they neglect the features that matter most to me—like the display and audio.


October 14, 2024
WordPress Doesn't Matter for the Future of Web

WordPress won the market but the entire paradigm shifted to managed solutions like Webflow. Markets that aren't growing become a zero-sum game, which probably caused the conflict in the first place.