In this article, the author reflects on the Silencing the Self Scale (STSS) and blends her personal and professional thoughts about self-silencing, gender, and depression. For her, the despair of depression deeply involves questions of value and meaning, culture and freedom. The STSS grew from listening to depressed women's voices. From them, the author heard the pain and disconnection of imposed silence. Silence can be a marker of oppression, yet not all silence results from oppression. Self-silencing can be a positive act. It can occur out of freedom, when one "chooses" not to speak or act in certain circumstances. The issue is freedom: self-silencing becomes destructive when a person perceives no choice. It is voice that brings people into connection. The author contends that if people are to achieve a world of greater equality and human fulfillment, they must remove the cultural norms and violence that lead to self-silencing.