The Kingdom of Noise

Adolf Hitler, relating how he despised those who embrace silent contemplation, said,

“Only the man who acts becomes conscious of the real world. Men misuse their intelligence. It is not the seat of a special dignity of mankind, but merely an instrument in the struggle for life. Man is here to act. Only as a being in action does he fulfill his natural vocation. Contemplative natures, retrospective like all intellectuals, are dead persons who miss the meaning of life. . . only deeds and perpetual activity give meaning to life . . . . All passivity, all inertia, on the other hand is senseless, inimical to life. From this proceeds the divine right of destroying all who are inert.”
(from Hermann Rauschning, The Voice of Destruction)

Hitler, an obvious pawn of Satan, realized that his greatest threat is the man who enters the silence and prays.

In his cleverly insightful The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis discloses the evil one’s agenda.
Screwtape, an archdemon, writes a letter to his demon nephew, Wormwood.
In the letter he says,

“Music and silence—how I detest them both! How thankful we should be that ever since our Father [the devil] entered Hell . . . no square inch of infernal space and no moment of infernal time has been surrendered to either of these abominable forces, but all has been occupied by Noise—Noise, the grand dynamism, the audible expression of all that is exultant, ruthless, and virile . . . . We will make the whole universe a noise in the end. We have already made great strides in this direction as regards the Earth.”
(The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis)

Modern music, videos, movies, and programming have the incredible power to inspire, and yet overwhelm our mind, manipulate our thoughts, and bully us into meditating upon things that will undermine if not altogether thwart our ability to love truly.

The human brain is more active when a person sleeps than when he watches television.
If you are looking for more research and evidence for this, check out these articles:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/too-much-tv-might-be-bad-for-your-brain
https://www.westmont.edu/how-faith-and-prayer-benefit-brain

One of the most powerful and effective ways to fast is to detach oneself from the kingdom of noise, because it makes room in our souls for God.

The most fundamental step in becoming a man of greatness is manning your defense wall against the kingdom of noise.
Perhaps you could shut off the television several nights a week.
Maybe you could restrict use of social apps and time on your blessed phone.
Perhaps you discontinue your subscription to particular bloggers and news sites.
Perhaps you deny yourself texting and emailing during family time.

By giving God these sacrifices, He will in turn fill that space with Himself.
God will never be outdone in generosity.

As Fr. Ronald Rolheiser notes, “In my long experience, every extraordinary person I have ever known has had one secret in common: they prayed privately.”