The Cultural Implications Of Silence Around The World

 Silence in Listening Cultures

Asian and Nordic countries have listening cultures where silence denotes careful thought. These cultures think that pauses (silence) in a conversation keep the interchange calm. In some cases, silence can be a way to allow everyone to save face. In these cultures, what is not said can be as important as what has been. In group-oriented cultures, it is polite to remain silent when your opinion does not agree with that of the group. 

Since silence has many meanings in listening cultures, it is important to de-code silence in each situation. In Japan, if you are making a presentation to a group and the most senior Japanese closes his eyes and is silent, it can mean conflicting things. His silence could mean agreement with what the presenter is saying; however, it could also mean that he does not want to publicly disagree. How would you know the difference?

Generally, the optimal approach is to slow down your speech and make sure you are speaking in a way that is not too complicated and doesn’t use too many idioms. You might then try asking a question to confirm understanding. 

Silence in Speaking Cultures

Some Western cultures think silence is a sign of lack of engagement in the conversation or even disagreement. Americans, for example, often see silence as indicating the person is indifferent, angry or disagreeing with them. The silence confuses and confounds them since it is so different from expected behavior. Many are even embarrassed by silence and rush to fill the space so they are no longer uncomfortable.

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Handling Silence in Meetings

When attending a multi-cultural meeting, understanding how different cultures respond to silence can help communication flow. If the majority of the attendees are from a culture where silence is discouraged, they will understand that their colleagues who do not speak up immediately do have something valuable to offer, they merely need some silence before joining the discussion. Conversely, if the majority of the participants are from a country where silence is expected, they will understand that their colleagues who are not letting them get a word in are not being disrespectful.

- More here from Carrie Shearer