"Silence and solitude are more distracting to me than chatter and commotion"
About this Quote
Henner’s intent is quietly contrarian, but not precious. She’s not romanticizing chaos; she’s naming a real attentional economy where “commotion” can be organizing rather than destabilizing. Coming from an actress - someone trained to read rooms, ride cues, and stay present under scrutiny - the line carries an occupational subtext: performance conditions can feel safer than empty space. On set or onstage, there’s structure, stakes, and a shared script. Alone, you’re both actor and audience, with no director to call “cut.”
There’s also a cultural tell embedded in the phrasing. We treat solitude as wellness and chatter as a problem; Henner suggests the reverse can be true for people wired toward high stimulation, constant interaction, or relentless memory and recall. The quote works because it refuses the tidy self-help moral. It’s a small admission with a big implication: distraction isn’t about volume, it’s about what your attention does when no one else is holding the room.
Quote Details
| Topic | Deep |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Henner, Marilu. (2026, January 17). Silence and solitude are more distracting to me than chatter and commotion. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/silence-and-solitude-are-more-distracting-to-me-64950/
Chicago Style
Henner, Marilu. "Silence and solitude are more distracting to me than chatter and commotion." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/silence-and-solitude-are-more-distracting-to-me-64950/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Silence and solitude are more distracting to me than chatter and commotion." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/silence-and-solitude-are-more-distracting-to-me-64950/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.








