The Power of Quietism for Introverts
How to value inner peace and practise the philosophy of quietism
We live in a noisy world.
I live in a big city and made the mistake of not taking my earplugs or earphones with me when I went out the other day.
The traffic noise, construction work, and general hubbub was overwhelming.
If you’re an introvert like me, noisy environments can be very challenging.
Fortunately, I’ve managed to find a job where I get to sit quietly in a room, typing away at a computer. But I know that not everyone is so lucky. And even I have to go out into the big, bad, noisy world at times.
These days, I value quiet.
Quiet is fundamental, as it allows me to hear my deepest thoughts and feel my deepest feelings.
That’s why a whole philosophy has been built up around it — quietism.
What is quietism?
Quietism is a simple philosophy that arose way back in the 17th century. A Spanish priest named Miguel de Molinos is often regarded as the founder of quietism.
It teaches that if you want to become spiritually fulfilled, you have to let go of desires and attachments and become fully present in the stillness of the moment.
The way to do that is to aim for inner peace, tranquillity, and serenity through deep, quiet contemplation.
- Tranquillity — a sense of calmness and quiet, free from disturbance or agitation
- Serenity — inner peace, harmony, and resilience even during challenging events
The main focus of quietism is on detaching from worldly distractions as much as possible and finding solace and comfort in silence. Inner peace is the overall goal, as it’s believed that this will give rise to true understanding of life, other people, and the nature of the divine.
How to practise quietism
If you want to bring the transformative power of quietism into your daily life, there are several daily practices you can use.
- Embrace Silence: Take moments of silence to disconnect and reflect, even just 5 minutes of quiet. One thing I like to do is box breathing, which involves breathing in for a count of four, holding your breath for four, breathing out for four, holding again for four, before repeating.
- Cultivate Stillness: Practice meditation or mindfulness to quiet the mind, rejuvenate the body, observe thoughts without judgement, and connect with your inner self. I found this extremely difficult at first as I had a very busy mind. But it only takes a few days or weeks of consistent practice to notice results.
- Engage in Contemplative Activities: Journaling, reading, or creative expressions can offer deeper insights into your thoughts and emotions. I write thousands of words every day — for freelance clients, various personal blogs, and books. But the most important writing I do every day is just for me — my journal.
- Disconnect from Digital Distractions: Take breaks from technology, enjoy nature, and savour the serenity of the present moment. Turn off non-essential notifications and take regular digital detoxes.
- Seek Solitude: Value alone time for self-reflection and recharging, regardless of societal expectations. I always feared that I would be seen as a loner. These days I don’t really care what other people think. Time alone is time to recharge and reflect.
- Practice Gratitude: I do this as part of my daily journaling. Gratitude can be as simple as being grateful for the novelty socks I’m wearing as they bring a smile to my face when I put them on! Being grateful for simplicity helps to free you from the constant desire for more.
- Surrender and Trust: Finally, one of the main ways to find inner peace is to surrender — let go of the need for control. To accept life’s gifts — beauty, fun, playfulness, pleasure, as well as life’s challenges — ill health, turmoil, pain, and suffering.
Practice makes peacefulness
I find that practising these things throughout the day gives me a serenity and calmness that wasn’t there before.
Neuroscience shows that we can rewire our brains and develop new mindsets at any stage of life — it doesn’t matter how old you are or what your life has looked like up until now. Give it a try, and in a matter of weeks or months, you’ll probably feel a positive shift.
While I can’t guarantee a perfect life, you’ll have something no external events can take away — inner peace.
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AI Prompts Used While Writing This Blog Post
As mentioned here, I’m disclosing every ChatGPT prompt that I use to assist my blog writing.
No AI tools were used in the writing of this article (cub scout’s honour and cross my heart hope to die).
This one came from the heart ❤️Xxxx❤️
