The world suffers a lot. Not because of the violence of bad people, but because of the silence of good people.
Napoleon Bonaparte
Often times, we are witnesses to events that call for our intervention and yet we choose to keep quiet. This reluctance to speak up is generally construed as our acceptance.
Several cultures around the word value silence as something very precious; it is likened to gold all around the world. However, silence isn’t golden all the time. There are times in our lives when we need to speak up, but we don’t. This could be anything from an idea to a suggestion to downright criticism. Our unwillingness to express our thoughts can be particularly detrimental to our and others’ interests where these thoughts may potentially influence decisions or actions.
Most of believe that silence is the best way to avoid conflict. Nothing, though, could be further from the truth. Keeping your opinions to yourself only makes you come across as too passive; if anything, it gives the decision makers free rein to do as they please. To make matters worse, third persons may interpret your silence as your approval, thus holding you responsible for the outcome.
There are others who prefer silence because they do not wish to offend anyone. However, this policy is downright foolish when the people in charge begin making decisions that go against the greater good. Eventually, our silence begins to affect the very people we hope to protect. Ask yourself this question: what is the worst that can happen when you do speak up your mind? People may disagree and turn down your opinions, but at least it will prompt others with the same misgivings to be more vocal. And once that happens, decision makers are forced to take into account the interests of all stakeholders.
Napoleon Bonaparte, more commonly known by his first name Napoleon, was a French military commander and political leader. Known for his revolutionary thoughts and democratic ideas, Bonaparte once remarked: “The world suffers a lot. Not because of the violence of bad people, but because of the silence of good people.”