Silence is Golden: Rediscovering Benjamin Franklin’s Second Virtue in a Noisy World

Imagine, just for a moment, that you’re living in the 1700s. You’ve got no phone glued to your hand, no podcasts whispering in your ears, and not a single 24-hour news channel shouting at you from the corner of the room. There’s no Twitter feed, no TikTok dances (unless you count a jig at the tavern), and certainly no Alexa asking how she can help.

Instead, there’s the town crier announcing the news in a booming voice, Franklin’s own Pennsylvania Gazette making its rounds, and most everything else—news, gossip, updates, scandal—being passed around by word of mouth. In a time like that, silence wasn’t just a virtue. It was survival.

That brings us to Benjamin Franklin’s second virtue: Silence.

“Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.”

Simple. Direct. Timeless.

And today? It might just be more important than ever.

The Power of Silence in Franklin’s Time

In Franklin’s colonial world, silence was part of the rhythm of life. Most people worked with their hands—blacksmiths, farmers, cobblers, printers (like Franklin himself). That kind of work often required concentration and physical effort, not chatter. When people spoke, it meant something. Conversations weren’t background noise—they were information exchanges, storytelling, or debates about revolution over a pint.

Franklin, ever the observer and thinker, realized early on that talking less often meant learning more. That might explain why he started a newspaper—so others could take in information without interruption or opinion-overload. In those days, it wasn’t uncommon to spend the evening reading aloud to the family or discussing real ideas by candlelight, not flickering TV light.

People listened. People thought. And silence had a place at the table.

Fast-Forward to Today: Noise, Noise, Noise

Now let’s hit play on our modern lives.

Ping.
Buzz.
Viral video.
Another ad.
Breaking news.
Opinion disguised as news.
Comment section mayhem.

From the moment we wake up, we’re bombarded with noise—literal and figurative. Our phones beg for attention. Our cars talk to us. Even our refrigerators want in on the action now.

And let’s not even talk about group chats. (Seriously—when did “LOL” become a full-time job?)

In this constant cacophony, silence is not only rare—it’s revolutionary.

Why Franklin’s Silence Might Matter More Today

When Franklin advised us to “avoid trifling conversation,” he wasn’t trying to kill joy or keep people from connecting. He was advocating for intentional speech—the kind that builds, uplifts, educates, or at least makes you think.

In today’s world, that looks like:

• Choosing when to respond instead of reacting instantly.

• Taking a social media break to reflect, instead of doomscrolling.

• Turning off the noise (even the “good noise”) and sitting with your thoughts.

Let’s be honest, most of us don’t need more opinions. We need more clarity. And clarity is born in the quiet.

Here’s a fun challenge: try sitting in silence for 10 minutes today. No phone. No TV. Just… you. (Warning: your brain might think you’re dying. You’re not. That’s just detox.)

A New Kind of Conversation

Silence isn’t the absence of something. It’s the presence of awareness.

When we embrace Franklin’s virtue of silence in a modern way, we open space for:

• Listening deeply to others without planning our response mid-sentence.

• Pausing before we post, so our words carry weight.

• Hearing our inner voice, not just everyone else’s opinions.

Silence today is a superpower. It’s how we regain control in a chaotic world.

From the Past to Your Path Forward

In my book Moral Compass, I talk about how ancient wisdom like Franklin’s still guides us toward modern clarity. We don’t need to live in the past, but we’d be wise to borrow from it.

Imagine the power of being the quietest person in the room—but also the most thoughtful. Imagine speaking less, but meaning more. That’s not weakness. That’s strength. That’s influence.

Franklin didn’t just suggest silence as a virtue—he practiced it. And his words still speak louder today than most of the static we hear on a daily basis.

Let’s Bring Back the Pause

Let’s make silence cool again.

Let’s scroll less and stroll more.
Let’s pause before pressing send.
Let’s give our thoughts room to breathe.
And maybe—just maybe—let’s listen as much as we speak.

You don’t need to move into a cabin in the woods. (Though, hey, if it worked for Thoreau…) You just need to create little pockets of quiet in your day. You’ll be surprised what rises to the surface when you turn down the volume of the world.

One Last Thought

Franklin’s virtues weren’t meant to be stiff rules or dusty relics. They’re practical, human, and full of common sense—something we could all use a bit more of today.

So, let’s bring back silence—not as a punishment, but as a pathway to wisdom, clarity, and peace.

And if someone asks why you’re suddenly so quiet, you can always smile and say:

“I’m just channeling my inner Franklin.”