--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One reason we can hardly bear to remain…" description: "\"“One reason we can hardly bear to remain silent is that it makes us feel so helpless. We are so accustomed to relying upon words to manage and control ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e2/richard-j-foster-1460_bears_one-reason-we-can-hardly-bear-to-remain_1640476.jpg" --- # One reason we can hardly bear to remain silent is that it… ![“One reason we can hardly bear to remain silent is that it makes us feel so helpless. We are so accustomed to relying upon words to manage and control others. If we are silent, who will take control? God will take control, but we will never let him take control until we trust him. Silence is…” quote by Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e2/richard-j-foster-1460_bears_one-reason-we-can-hardly-bear-to-remain_1640476.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e2/richard-j-foster-1460_bears_one-reason-we-can-hardly-bear-to-remain_1640476.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e2/richard-j-foster-1460_bears_one-reason-we-can-hardly-bear-to-remain_1640476.jpg) > ““One reason we can hardly bear to remain silent is that it makes us feel so helpless. We are so accustomed to relying upon words to manage and control others. If we are silent, who will take control? God will take control, but we will never let him take control until we trust him. Silence is intimately related to trust. The”” [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Silence reveals dependence on control; trusting God replaces the need to dominate others through speech. **In simple terms:** Silence shows we need trust in God. Key Takeaway Learn to trust and be comfortable with silence. Themes trust silence control faith Mood reflective contemplative Type spiritual psychological When to use this quote - personal prayer - conflict resolution - leadership - mental health - spiritual counseling Key Concepts spirituality psychology power dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How does silence affect your sense of power? - What steps help you trust God instead of speaking to control? A Different Perspective Silence can also enable neglect or abuse if not paired with healthy boundaries. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bears/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Gods will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gods-will/) [Helpless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helpless/) [Manage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manage/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Remain Silent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remain-silent/) [Silence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silence/) [Silence Intimately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silence-intimately-563063/) [Silence is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silence-is/) [Silent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silent/) [Silent Control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silent-control-563064/) [Trust Silence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust-silence-563062/) ## Related quotes > [“Fatuous words I don't trust you I trust silence More than beauty more than anything A festival of understanding”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franti-ek-halas/fatuous-words-i-don-t-trust-you-i-trust-silence-more-than-beauty-more/) [František Halas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franti-ek-halas/) > [Fosse would say that it's important to trust silence. He very much liked the use of the tacit, or silent, count, where nothing is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-reinking/fosse-would-say-that-it-s-important-to-trust-silence-he-very-much/) [Ann Reinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-reinking/) > [“Trust the path when it is dim. Trust the silence when it is heavy. Trust the One who placed the moon above you and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dark-night-beacon/trust-the-path-when-it-is-dim-trust-the-silence-when-it-is-heavy/) [Dark Night Beacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dark-night-beacon/) > [“Trust me! My silence will hurt you more than my words ever did.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garima-soni/trust-me-my-silence-will-hurt-you-more-than-my-words-ever-did/) [Garima Soni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garima-soni/) > [To trust yourself is to trust Silence. To trust your own heart is to trust the wisdom that is radiating and shining. All the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-jaxon-bear/to-trust-yourself-is-to-trust-silence-to-trust-your-own-heart-is-to/) [Eli Jaxon-Bear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-jaxon-bear/) > [The only thing I trust is silence. And I trust silence completely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-jacobson/the-only-thing-i-trust-is-silence-and-i-trust-silence-completely/) [Leonard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-jacobson/) > [Don't you know yet that men are full of words that mean nothing? The silence of a woman is a thousand times weightier. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-maas/don-t-you-know-yet-that-men-are-full-of-words-that-mean-nothing-the/) [Sharon Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-maas/) > [It is better to sit alone than in company with the bad, and it is better still to sit with the good than alone.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad/it-is-better-to-sit-alone-than-in-company-with-the-bad-and-it-is/) [Muhammad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad/) > [Good writing can be defined as having something to say and saying it well. When one has nothing to say, one should remain silent.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/good-writing-can-be-defined-as-having-something-to-say-and-saying-it/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [“Silence frees us from the need to control others. One reason we can hardly bear to remain silent is that it makes us feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/silence-frees-us-from-the-need-to-control-others-one-reason-we-can/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [Silence is one of the deepest Disciplines of the Spirit, simply because it puts the stopper on all self-justificat ion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/silence-is-one-of-the-deepest-disciplines-of-the-spirit-simply-3/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [It would have been more comfortable to remain silent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-hill/it-would-have-been-more-comfortable-to-remain-silent/) [Anita Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-hill/) > [“KINGDOM OF THE WOMB From her thighs, she gives you life And how you treat she who gives you life Shows how much you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/kingdom-of-the-womb-from-her-thighs-she-gives-you-life-and-how-you/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [Republicans remain silent because Trump is doing what they want - lowering taxes on the rich, eviscerating regulations, bulldozing the environment, and insisting that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-cohen/republicans-remain-silent-because-trump-is-doing-what-they-want/) [Richard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-cohen/) > [In times of dread, artists must never choose to remain silent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/in-times-of-dread-artists-must-never-choose-to-remain-silent/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) ## More by Richard J. Foster > [Prayer is - listening for the still small voice of God. Listening with the "ear of our hearts."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/prayer-is-listening-for-the-still-small-voice-of-god-listening-with/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [Over-consumption is a cancer eating away at our spiritual vitals. It distances us from the great masses of broken bleeding humanity. It converts us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/over-consumption-is-a-cancer-eating-away-at-our-spiritual-vitals-it/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [“To believe that God can reach us and bless us in the ordinary junctures of daily life is the stuff of prayer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/to-believe-that-god-can-reach-us-and-bless-us-in-the-ordinary/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [Prayer is simply saying "thank you, bless you, praise you."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/prayer-is-simply-saying-thank-you-bless-you-praise-you/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [There is an old proverb to the effect that 'all those who open their mouths, close their eyes!' The purpose of silence and solitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/there-is-an-old-proverb-to-the-effect-that-all-those-who-open-their/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [It is an occupational hazard of devout folk to become stuffy bores. This should not be. Of all people, we should be the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/it-is-an-occupational-hazard-of-devout-folk-to-become-stuffy-bores/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [“Lord God, you deserve my best. Forgive me for the times I have offered you only the dregs, whether it be half-heartedly muttered prayers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/lord-god-you-deserve-my-best-forgive-me-for-the-times-i-have-offered/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [Superficiality is the curse of our age. The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a primary spiritual problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/superficiality-is-the-curse-of-our-age-the-doctrine-of-instant/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [If worship does not change us it has not been worship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/if-worship-does-not-change-us-it-has-not-been-worship/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [“I want to mention one other reason why we shy away from commitment. It is, very simply, the fear that we will not be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/i-want-to-mention-one-other-reason-why-we-shy-away-from-commitment-it/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [“It is one thing to act like a servant; it is quite another to be a servant.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/it-is-one-thing-to-act-like-a-servant-it-is-quite-another-to-be-a/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [“we hold on so tightly to the good that we do know that we cannot receive the greater good that we do not know.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/we-hold-on-so-tightly-to-the-good-that-we-do-know-that-we-cannot/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [“Once we have made generous latitude for individual differences and schedules, we must firmly discipline ourselves to a regular pattern of prayer. We cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/once-we-have-made-generous-latitude-for-individual-differences-and/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [Freedom in the Gospel does not mean license. It means opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/freedom-in-the-gospel-does-not-mean-license-it-means-opportunity/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [“The tongue is our most powerful weapon of manipulation. A frantic stream of words flows from us because we are in a constant process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/the-tongue-is-our-most-powerful-weapon-of-manipulation-a-frantic/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) [Explore all 239 Richard J. 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