--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we are in silence - in absolute…" description: "\"If we are in silence - in absolute silence with no thoughts - for 10 minutes, it's only a thought that tells us we were silent for 10 minutes. Our only..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25a/byron-katie-553_absolutes_if-we-are-in-silence-in-absolute-silence_2522051.png" --- # If we are in silence - in absolute silence with no… ![“If we are in silence - in absolute silence with no thoughts - for 10 minutes, it's only a thought that tells us we were silent for 10 minutes. Our only proof is a thought.” quote by Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25a/byron-katie-553_absolutes_if-we-are-in-silence-in-absolute-silence_2522051.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25a/byron-katie-553_absolutes_if-we-are-in-silence-in-absolute-silence_2522051.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25a/byron-katie-553_absolutes_if-we-are-in-silence-in-absolute-silence_2522051.png) > “If we are in silence - in absolute silence with no thoughts - for 10 minutes, it's only a thought that tells us we were silent for 10 minutes. Our only proof is a thought.” [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Silence is only verified by thought; without thought, we have no evidence of silence, highlighting thought's role in perception. **In simple terms:** We know we were silent because we thought about it. Key Takeaway Question thoughts that claim proof. Themes perception thought mindfulness Mood contemplative neutral Type psychological inspirational When to use this quote - therapy sessions - journaling - mindful pauses - stress coping Key Concepts cognitive psychology awareness epistemology Questions to Reflect On - What thoughts do you use to judge your experiences? - How can you notice silence without labeling it? A Different Perspective Thoughts can be unreliable indicators of reality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absolutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutes/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Minutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minutes/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Proof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proof/) [Proof Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proof-thought-1259884/) [Silence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silence/) [Silence Thoughts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silence-thoughts-1259883/) [Silent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silent/) [Silent 10](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silent-10-1259885/) ## Related quotes > [Phone on silent : 10 missed calls. Turns volume to loudest : Nobody calls All damn day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/phone-on-silent-10-missed-calls-turns-volume-to-loudest-nobody-calls/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everything that's created comes out of silence. Your thoughts emerge from the nothingness of silence. Your words come out of this void. Your very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/everything-that-s-created-comes-out-of-silence-your-thoughts-emerge/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [Who are you in the silence between your thoughts?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-fronsdal/who-are-you-in-the-silence-between-your-thoughts/) [Gil Fronsdal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-fronsdal/) > [The Higher Self is whispering to you softly in the silence between your thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/the-higher-self-is-whispering-to-you-softly-in-the-silence-between/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [“The two men sat there together, in the kind of silence that's not empty because it has the thoughts of two longtime friends to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzette-haden-elgin/the-two-men-sat-there-together-in-the-kind-of-silence-that-s-not/) [Suzette Haden Elgin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzette-haden-elgin/) > [If we had absolute proof instead of clues, then you could no more deny God than you could deny the sun. 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But there is perfect injustice, and we know it when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/there-is-no-perfect-justice-just-as-there-is-no-absolute-in-ethics/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [At the centre of the human heart is the longing for an absolute good, a longing which is always there and is never appeased…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/at-the-centre-of-the-human-heart-is-the-longing-for-an-absolute-good/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) ## More by Byron Katie > [The moment it begins to question itself, the mind becomes so clear that it starts working with itself rather than with the body's identification.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/the-moment-it-begins-to-question-itself-the-mind-becomes-so-clear/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [People don't need sudden revelations. They get what they need when they need it, thought by thought by thought. It's a constant thing when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/people-don-t-need-sudden-revelations-they-get-what-they-need-when/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [Your parents are your projection-nothing more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/your-parents-are-your-projection-nothing-more/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [When a thought hurts, that’s the signal that it isn’t true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/when-a-thought-hurts-that-s-the-signal-that-it-isn-t-true/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [Since the past is unreal and the future is unreal, all your thoughts are about nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/since-the-past-is-unreal-and-the-future-is-unreal-all-your-thoughts/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [I used to sleep on the floor next to the bed, because I believed that I didn't even deserve a bed to sleep in.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/i-used-to-sleep-on-the-floor-next-to-the-bed-because-i-believed-that/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [You can never make yourself believe that you're loveable, however hard you try, because when the chips are down what you really believe rises…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/you-can-never-make-yourself-believe-that-you-re-loveable-however-hard/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [“Your story is your identity, and you’d do almost anything to prove that it’s true. Inquiry into self is the only thing that has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/your-story-is-your-identity-and-you-d-do-almost-anything-to-prove/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [It's not what happens in life that bothers us. It's what we're believing about it that bothers us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/it-s-not-what-happens-in-life-that-bothers-us-it-s-what-we-re/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [Love asks for nothing. Only personalities want something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/love-asks-for-nothing-only-personalities-want-something/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [I love what I think, and I'm never tempted to believe it. Thoughts are like the wind or the leaves on the trees or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/i-love-what-i-think-and-i-m-never-tempted-to-believe-it-thoughts-are/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [Reality doesn't wait for your opinion, vote, or permission, sweetheart. It just keeps being what it is and doing what it does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/reality-doesn-t-wait-for-your-opinion-vote-or-permission-sweetheart/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [As long as we believe our thoughts, there will always be war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/as-long-as-we-believe-our-thoughts-there-will-always-be-war/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [“Reality doesn’t wait for our agreement or approval. It is what it is. You can count on it. Gary:”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/reality-doesn-t-wait-for-our-agreement-or-approval-it-is-what-it-is/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [You can't drop concepts. You can only shine a little flashlight on them as you do inquiry, an you see that what you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/you-can-t-drop-concepts-you-can-only-shine-a-little-flashlight-on/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) [Explore all 480 Byron Katie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) ## More Absolutes quotes > [At the centre of the human heart is the longing for an absolute good, a longing which is always there and is never appeased…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/at-the-centre-of-the-human-heart-is-the-longing-for-an-absolute-good/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [There is no perfect justice, just as there is no absolute in ethics. 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