Between Speech and Silence

Book excerpt: This book concerns itself with the origin of speech and language, takes the reader through the steps of dialectic (how to reason) and rhetoric (how to persuade), examines the importance of stories and symbols and the role of thinking, and highlights the necessity of silence and the practice of meditation. Though it is written from a philosophical perspective, it is eminently practical, with guidelines, exercises, ancient advice, and concrete suggestions on how to communicate, convince, and commune with one’s self. Dr. Costello draws on both Eastern and Western thought to show the power, poetry, and potential of words. It explores the following: how to question (Socrates and Plato); how to argue (Aristotle and Cicero); how to be right (Schopenhauer); how to think (Heidegger); how to spot your speaking style (the enneagram); how to communicate compassionately (Thich Nhat Hanh); how to meditate and stay silent (various contemplative traditions).