Waking Up to the Noise of Minds

I was different when I woke up this morning. The world was the same, but it was noisier—alive with unspoken words. I could hear thoughts. It started as a trickle: the barista’s silent irritation, the quiet joy of a stranger, the hidden worry of my neighbor. Then it was a flood—a never-ending deluge of human consciousness. The ability felt unlimited, nearly infinite. Every person had a universe inside of them: terrors, hopes, regrets, fleeting marvels. To walk along the street was to stroll through thousands of open diaries. I realized how little we know of each other, how much is hidden behind trivialities and smiles. Yet abundance has its cost. Some thoughts are beautiful; others pain. To listen to all is to lose the peace of silence. And amidst this cacophonous orchestra of minds, I found wonder—proof that the riches of humanity lie not in all that we say, but in everything that we never do.