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31 October 2026

Not every disagreement needs to be settled, and not every relationship can be improved by explaining ourselves one more time.

There are moments when silence is mistaken for defeat. We feel compelled to defend an opinion, correct an unfair remark or make someone understand what we intended. Yet repeated explanations do not always produce understanding. Sometimes they merely extend a conversation in which neither person is listening any longer.

Knowing when to step back is not the same as giving up. It can be an act of judgement, especially when emotions have begun to replace reason.

This becomes harder when the matter concerns someone important to us. We want to be understood, and we may keep returning to the same point, hoping that a different choice of words will finally make a difference.

But respect cannot be secured by argument alone. It also requires willingness on the other side.

There is dignity in speaking honestly, but there is wisdom in recognising when further words will achieve nothing.

Not every silence is empty. Some are simply the space in which we choose not to lose ourselves.

Rajat Chandra Sarmah, Guwahati, Assam, India, Instagram @rajatchandrasarmah, YouTube: conversewithasmile, email rajatchandrasarmah@gmail.com