Silence reminds us of ultimate questions, of life and death, of meaning, of finitude. Many of these issues people prefer, consciously or unconsciously, to avoid. Perhaps in part because it prompts us to face uncomfortable truths, silence has negative connotations.
Silence equals death, at some level, so we are afraid of silence, as we are of death. Silence is also associated with punishment. One of the worst forms of correction a prisoner can suffer is solitary (and therefore silent) confinement. Silence is also used to punish children. . . . Being forced into silence, having it imposed in a frightening or painful way, causes people to dislike it, and to associate noise with freedom and pleasure.
— C. W. McPherson, Keeping Silence