Invisibility: The Power of Silence

Photo by Amy Velazquez on Unsplash

I've been an invisible student for all those years of my school life. Very few teachers would recognize me if they saw me today. I was always quiet and shy, especially in front of my teachers. I was scared of being asked questions every time. So, the front row was never my choice. As I grew older, I realized the importance of education and the perk of being at the front row. Nevertheless, I couldn't be as open as I wanted to be. I was still shy in my college days. The fear of being watched by everyone in the classroom (while standing up and asking questions) was always there. So, I didn't ask any questions. Though I wanted to be, I couldn't be an interactive student. But I wasn't aware of the effect of my silence and shyness until I was surprised (shocked actually) by one of my lecturers. One of our teachers was a beautiful lady who was quite older than me but looked young and smart enough. By then I was mature and experienced enough to realize the significance of sitting at the front row. However I was not responsive or interactive whatsoever. If I remember precisely, it must be the result of the mid-term exams. The teacher called the names and distributed the marked answer sheets of all the students of my classroom one by one. She read my name and said seeing the marks I had obtained, "He has done quite well. Who is it?" I stood up and said it's mine. And the question she asked me was what gave me the epiphany. "Is this your first day in my class?" was her question. I had been sitting at the front row (most of the time) for more than a couple of months attending her lectures. However, I was never noticed. That was the moment I realized the power of silence. I was invisible to her for all those days. If I had been active, responsive and interrogative, I would be clearly visible even if I was at the last row. So, if you are among those who avoid eye contact with your teachers just to keep away from being noticed or being asked any questions, then chances are that your trick is working.

By the way, if reading is boring for you, watch this video and enjoy it!