People fear true silence because it threatens rather than merely rests their worldview

Evidence

If silence is the prerequisite to the three-step process of independent thought, one might think it would be prized for this reason alone, but it is not. The reason for this is simple: thinking independently and creatively is perilous. Once you start to cast aside old ways of thought and leave yourself fully open to new perceptions and new ideas, you shun also and by definition the habits and beliefs on which you have so far built your life. And there is no guarantee that what you come up with now will reconfirm the validity of previous assumptions. — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels, 462

The nothing of silence, of utter darkness, scares the bejesus out of people, precisely because it is no respecter of preexisting worldviews; even the educated professionals who excoriate noise in their daily lives seldom if ever go much further to shun it than by insulating their offices, playing relaxation music, holidaying on Mount Desert. — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels, 465

Categorization

• corroborated: 3 independent passages support this claim — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels: The Quest for Absolute…, 462; George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels: The Quest for Absolute…, 465
• XREF: connects to: The desire for silence outlasts and exceeds mere relief from noise fatigue — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels: The Quest for Absolute…, 211; Extreme near-total silence can trigger panic, disorientation, and physical illness — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels: The Quest for Absolute…, 474; Total silence is equated biologically and symbolically with death itself — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels: The Quest for Absolute…, 611 (+20 more)

Library Connections

• Total silence can overwhelm the mind as an alien, unbearable presence #corroborates (0.85) — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels, 222
• Extreme physical silence can produce deep restfulness rather than only distress #contradicts (0.80) — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels, 496
• The unattainable ideal of absolute silence is necessary to resist noise’s control #expands (0.80) — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels, 616
• Perfect silence as an unattainable absolute still functions as real and necessary #expands (0.80)

Broader Connections

• Deep silence can feel like a sensory presence rather than mere absence #corroborates (0.75) — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels, 35
• Silence resets the audience’s mental frame before a performance can begin #exemplifies (0.75) — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels, 257
• In near-total silence a person may hear the mechanics of their own body #exemplifies (0.70) — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels, 578
• The idea of an absolute silence functions as a necessary reset point for thought #qualifies (0.65) — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels, 531
• Silence is an active presence that must be experienced, not imagined #complicates (0.55) — Gordon Hempton, John Grossmann, One Square Inch of Silence- One Man’s…, 26
• Silence takes its meaning from surrounding sound #qualifies (0.50) — Schafer, Murray R, The Soundscape- Our Sonic Environment…, 864