‘What is the use of talking-talking?’ Reflections on talking, silence, and resilience in Sierra Leone
Abstract
When conducting research on how Sierra Leoneans dealt with the past of a civil war
in their everyday lives, I often observed that my informants felt that talking about
the war was no longer necessary, especially in public situations. Moreover, many
told me that it was better to ‘forget’ and move on. Speaking about such attitudes at
conferences or workshops in Europe, I often received sceptical comments, suggesting
that Sierra Leoneans seem ‘not yet ready’ to deal with their violent past and that this
could not be healthy in the long term. Inspired by these reactions, I ask whether ‘not
talking’ about experiences of violence is unhealthy. To answer this question, I draw on
psychological studies on resilience that examine the factors that help individuals cope
successfully with adversity. I find that the role of ‘talking’ may be of lesser relevance
for the well-being of those who have experienced mass violence. Rather, various
individual, social, and cultural factors contribute to resilience. The reflections in this
article is intended to encourage further research on the different ways in which people
cope with adversity.