--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The mere suggestion that not speaking for…" description: "\"The mere suggestion that not speaking for a day can give you an appreciation of the social isolation that comes with the experience of disability, part..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f2/stella-young-7013_appreciation_the-mere-suggestion-that-not-speaking-fo_1038217.jpg" --- # The mere suggestion that not speaking for a day can give… ![“The mere suggestion that not speaking for a day can give you an appreciation of the social isolation that comes with the experience of disability, particularly those whose impairments prohibit them from communicating verbally, is insensitive at best.” quote by Stella Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f2/stella-young-7013_appreciation_the-mere-suggestion-that-not-speaking-fo_1038217.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f2/stella-young-7013_appreciation_the-mere-suggestion-that-not-speaking-fo_1038217.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f2/stella-young-7013_appreciation_the-mere-suggestion-that-not-speaking-fo_1038217.jpg) > “The mere suggestion that not speaking for a day can give you an appreciation of the social isolation that comes with the experience of disability, particularly those whose impairments prohibit them from communicating verbally, is insensitive at best.” [Stella Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-young/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Suggesting a day of silence to appreciate disability is insensitive, especially for those who cannot speak. **In simple terms:** Silence experiments can be disrespectful to non‑verbal disabled people. Key Takeaway Respect lived experiences rather than simulate them. Themes disability empathy respect awareness Mood empathetic critical Type educational advocacy When to use this quote - advocacy training - diversity workshops - public speaking - policy development Key Concepts social inclusion ethical awareness communication Questions to Reflect On - How can you learn about disability without appropriation? - What alternatives foster genuine empathy? A Different Perspective Simulations may oversimplify complex realities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Appreciation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appreciation/) [Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best/) [Communicating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communicating/) [Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day/) [Disability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disability/) [Disability Particularly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disability-particularly-2411072/) [Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) [Give](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/give/) [Gratitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gratitude/) [Insensitive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insensitive/) [Isolation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/isolation/) [Mere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mere/) [Particularly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/particularly/) [Particularly Impairments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/particularly-impairments-2411073/) [Prohibit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prohibit/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Social isolation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-isolation/) [Speaking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speaking/) [Suggestion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suggestion/) [Them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/them/) [Those](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/those/) [Verbally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/verbally/) [Verbally Insensitive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/verbally-insensitive-2411071/) [Whose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whose/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [There are far too many people in prison with poorly understood disability, particularly cognitive and mental disabilities. We cannot tolerate a system that just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/there-are-far-too-many-people-in-prison-with-poorly-understood/) [Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/) > [If mass media, social isolation in the suburbs, alienating workplaces and long car commutes create a bunker mentality, the Internet does the opposite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-steffen/if-mass-media-social-isolation-in-the-suburbs-alienating-workplaces/) [Alex Steffen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-steffen/) > [“Marginalised and abused children are often overlooked even today, and risk becoming marginalised and abused adults who may never receive acknowledgment or respect for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-hersey/marginalised-and-abused-children-are-often-overlooked-even-today-and/) [Jane Hersey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-hersey/) > [“The biggest fear for homeschooled children is that they will be unable to relate to their peers, will not have friends, or that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-k-cook/the-biggest-fear-for-homeschooled-children-is-that-they-will-be/) [Sandra K. Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-k-cook/) > [I had a very depressing response because I realized that these were my own people, these were Negroes throwing eggs at me. I'm concerned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/i-had-a-very-depressing-response-because-i-realized-that-these-were/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [“They express concern that technology creates social isolation, as people rely on tech-based communication rather than richer face-to-face encounters.9 We find a different story.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-rainie/they-express-concern-that-technology-creates-social-isolation-as/) [Lee Rainie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-rainie/) > [There's a great deal of scientific evidence that social connectedness is a very strong protector of emotional well-being, and I think there's no question…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-weil/there-s-a-great-deal-of-scientific-evidence-that-social-connectedness/) [Andrew Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-weil/) > [We need real, tangible progress towards our net zero goals, while building stronger, more resilient communities with greater wellbeing and falling rates of loneliness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-reeves/we-need-real-tangible-progress-towards-our-net-zero-goals-while/) [Rachel Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-reeves/) > [“If you want to be in optimum emotional health, realize that social isolation stands between you and it. Reach out to others. Join groups—to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-weil/if-you-want-to-be-in-optimum-emotional-health-realize-that-social/) [Andrew Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-weil/) > [Many animals experience pain, anxiety and suffering, physically and psychologically, when they are held in captivity or subjected to starvation, social isolation, physical restraint,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-bekoff/many-animals-experience-pain-anxiety-and-suffering-physically-and/) [Marc Bekoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-bekoff/) > [My habit of glorifying things far away in space and time, also contributed to my social isolation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-ford/my-habit-of-glorifying-things-far-away-in-space-and-time-also/) [Luke Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-ford/) > [“The Company We Keep So now we have seen that our cells are in relationship with our thoughts, feelings, and each other. How do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sondra-barrett/the-company-we-keep-so-now-we-have-seen-that-our-cells-are-in/) [Sondra Barrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sondra-barrett/) > [As a group, housewives to-day suffer more from social isolation and loss of purpose than any other social group, except, perhaps, the old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alva-myrdal/as-a-group-housewives-to-day-suffer-more-from-social-isolation-and/) [Alva Myrdal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alva-myrdal/) > [“ISOLATION DOES STRANGE THINGS to a person’s mind. This is true for any social creature, human or otherwise. Monkeys taken from their mothers at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-jensen/isolation-does-strange-things-to-a-person-s-mind-this-is-true-for-any/) [Derrick Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-jensen/) > [...hideous psychic fallout they'd all endured both in active marijuana-dependency and then in marijuana-detox: the social isolation, anxious lassitude, and the hyperself-consciousness that then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/hideous-psychic-fallout-they-d-all-endured-both-in-active-marijuana/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) ## More by Stella Young > [I am repeatedly asked in interviews exactly 'what's wrong' with me, and I always give them the same answer; I don't identify the name…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-young/i-am-repeatedly-asked-in-interviews-exactly-what-s-wrong-with-me-and/) [Stella Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-young/) > [We think we know what it's all about; we think that disability is a really simple thing, and we don't expect to see disabled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-young/we-think-we-know-what-it-s-all-about-we-think-that-disability-is-a/) [Stella Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-young/) > [For me, in some ways, my whole life is a bit performative and always has been - because I'm stared at and looked at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-young/for-me-in-some-ways-my-whole-life-is-a-bit-performative-and-always/) [Stella Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-young/) > [Believe me, people with disabilities are just as concerned about benefit fraud as anyone else. Money spent on those who are not in need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-young/believe-me-people-with-disabilities-are-just-as-concerned-about/) [Stella Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-young/) > [In many ways, I'm incredibly lucky to have been born with my impairment and that it's visible. It means my path has been predictable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-young/in-many-ways-i-m-incredibly-lucky-to-have-been-born-with-my/) [Stella Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-young/) > [Death is not treatment, even if it's medically facilitated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-young/death-is-not-treatment-even-if-it-s-medically-facilitated/) [Stella Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-young/) > [Personally, I like a generous side of wheelchair access with my cities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-young/personally-i-like-a-generous-side-of-wheelchair-access-with-my-cities/) [Stella Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-young/) > [We’ve been sold this lie that disability makes you exceptional and it honestly doesn’t. … I want to live in a world where we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-young/we-ve-been-sold-this-lie-that-disability-makes-you-exceptional-and-it/) [Stella Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-young/) > [When patronised, I'm unfortunately more flight than fight. Perhaps it's because I actually feel quite wounded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-young/when-patronised-i-m-unfortunately-more-flight-than-fight-perhaps-it-s/) [Stella Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-young/) > [I have a condition that is included among the 200 or so classified as Dwarfism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-young/i-have-a-condition-that-is-included-among-the-200-or-so-classified-as/) [Stella Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-young/) > [The problem for many people with disabilities is not that we are not able to work a certain number of hours a week. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-young/the-problem-for-many-people-with-disabilities-is-not-that-we-are-not/) [Stella Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-young/) > [As a wheelchair user, I am utterly obsessed with toilets, and all my friends know it. A simple invitation to the pub is consistently…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-young/as-a-wheelchair-user-i-am-utterly-obsessed-with-toilets-and-all-my/) [Stella Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-young/) > [Doctors are not fortune tellers, and neither am I. Having lived with disability since birth does not afford me immunity from illness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-young/doctors-are-not-fortune-tellers-and-neither-am-i-having-lived-with/) [Stella Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-young/) > [From my first days in Washington D.C., where I rolled a whole four downtown blocks without seeing a single shop, cafe, bar or restaurant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-young/from-my-first-days-in-washington-d-c-where-i-rolled-a-whole-four/) [Stella Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-young/) > [On the whole, my life is and has been wonderful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-young/on-the-whole-my-life-is-and-has-been-wonderful/) [Stella Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-young/) [Explore all 95 Stella Young quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-young/) ## More Appreciation quotes > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [Time can but make her beauty over again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/time-can-but-make-her-beauty-over-again/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [The writings of latter-day prophets clearly teach that the sorrows and sufferings endured by Adam and Eve upon their leaving the Garden of Eden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-k-judd/the-writings-of-latter-day-prophets-clearly-teach-that-the-sorrows/) [Daniel K Judd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-k-judd/) > [Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/wine-is-one-of-the-most-civilized-things-in-the-world-and-one-of-the/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [A very small percentage of the people in this world will actually experience and live today. So many people will be stuck on another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/a-very-small-percentage-of-the-people-in-this-world-will-actually/) [Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/) > [Stop chasing the things you want and embrace all that you already have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/stop-chasing-the-things-you-want-and-embrace-all-that-you-already-have/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Appreciation is the purest vibration that exists on the planet today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/appreciation-is-the-purest-vibration-that-exists-on-the-planet-today/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [“My thank-yous always come out rather labored. I often don't give them at all. People do what they're supposed to do and then wait…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/my-thank-yous-always-come-out-rather-labored-i-often-don-t-give-them/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [“Like gratitude, authentic appreciation in the workplace is a realisation that can be nurtured and accessed with daily mindful practice. By and large, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-dines/like-gratitude-authentic-appreciation-in-the-workplace-is-a/) [Christopher Dines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-dines/) > [Think of your mind, your emotions, and your spirit as the ultimate garden. The way to ensure a bountiful, nourishing harvest is to plant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/think-of-your-mind-your-emotions-and-your-spirit-as-the-ultimate/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [“Recognize and appreciate little things, and enjoy what Life has to offer”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-nikko-caharian-iii/recognize-and-appreciate-little-things-and-enjoy-what-life-has-to/) [Cesar Nikko Caharian III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-nikko-caharian-iii/) > [Men, when it comes to women, value diamonds and put no stock into copper. Diamonds are rare. You can find copper anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enhance-dreams/men-when-it-comes-to-women-value-diamonds-and-put-no-stock-into/) [Enhance Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enhance-dreams/) > [“Everything we perceive to be solid and static is made up of almost entirely empty space.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-kauffman/everything-we-perceive-to-be-solid-and-static-is-made-up-of-almost/) [Joseph P. Kauffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-kauffman/) > [Be very slow to believe that you are wiser than all others; it is a fatal but common error. Where one has been saved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/be-very-slow-to-believe-that-you-are-wiser-than-all-others-it-is-a/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) [Browse all 2,528 Appreciation quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appreciation/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The mere suggestion that not speaking for a day can give you an appreciation of the social isolation that comes with the experience of disability, particularly those whose impairments prohibit them from communicating verbally, is insensitive at best.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stella Young" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-young/the-mere-suggestion-that-not-speaking-for-a-day-can-give-you-an/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Appreciation" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-young/the-mere-suggestion-that-not-speaking-for-a-day-can-give-you-an/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f2/stella-young-7013_appreciation_the-mere-suggestion-that-not-speaking-fo_1038217.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f2/stella-young-7013_appreciation_the-mere-suggestion-that-not-speaking-fo_1038217.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f2/stella-young-7013_appreciation_the-mere-suggestion-that-not-speaking-fo_1038217.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The mere suggestion that not speaking for a day can give you an appreciation of the social isolation that…” — Stella Young", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Stella Young", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-young/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The mere suggestion that not speaking...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-young/the-mere-suggestion-that-not-speaking-for-a-day-can-give-you-an/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-young/the-mere-suggestion-that-not-speaking-for-a-day-can-give-you-an/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```