Researchers need to take time for themselves and detach themselves from the flow of information.
Attention and concentration are fundamental for individual and group performance in every area of human expression. Thus, silence or detachment from the flow of data and information is functional in achieving objectives and purposes.
The lack of attention compromises the flow of research, especially connected with the use of e-mail and technological devices, telephone calls, and work meetings as in fact all these things often force the researcher to interrupt a project and quickly "shift" the attention to another task.
The attentional focus of a person, in any work environment, can vary within a two-dimensional space. There are 4 styles of concentration, interaction and attention, concentration and information processing:
a conscious style, in which each acts quickly and instinctively to environmental stimuli.
a strategic style, which is centered on a broad and attentive focus oriented towards the analysis and creation of effective strategies;
a systematic style, in which the individual is engaged in the systematic repetition of information necessary to complete the task;
a focused style, characterized by a narrow focus of attention that tends to carry out a mathematical or scientific procedure.
In all styles, silence is essential, or at least the possibility of thinking, in an environment where background noises or voices do not disturb the programming or data processing, giving the possibility of thinking about the problem or question continuously. Thus, it is important to isolate oneself even for just a few hours a day, to be able to process the data collected and put it to good use. Certainly, the presence of instant messaging, social media, and email has facilitated the transmission of information and accelerated progress, allowing even at a distance, as in the case of calls or meetings, to interact with working groups that are not in the same Institute. On the other end, this progress has exposed scientists, professors, and researchers to continuous visual and interactive stimuli that slow down their concentration.
A recent publication in Nature has focused on the need for concentration, also aided by relaxation and mentalization techniques. If on one hand, "availability" has made us globally interconnected, on the other hand, the human mind needs time to concentrate and reset information, "clean up" all unnecessary data not aimed at a certain result. Briefly, the first and foremost need of the mind of every individual and scientist is the ability to isolate even for a limited time as in fact time and silence are essential to deconstruct, create new paths, and choose, through the exact analysis of the question, the best strategy. For those who seek, analyze, and transform the truth, silence is not empty but full of answers.