Is silence a "form" of consent?

NewLIFEstyle4ME
NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
in Chit-Chat
I was taught by my parents, when I was growing up that "silence is a form of consent". When they taught me this, it was ALWAYS in regard to some serious matter. I was thinking about that today and was really wondering what you all think about that...IS "silence is a form of consent?

AND

If silence truly IS a form of consent...what are "we" (you and me) consenting to, by being silent during serious matters?

If not (if silence is NOT a form of consent...why not?

Thanks in advance for your replies!

Replies

  • TarryTaffyTwo
    TarryTaffyTwo Posts: 448 Member
    Can you elaborate or give a specific example? Your q is vague & a reply would depend on circumstances.

    It's like asking a fave color. My reply would be, for what? A pair of shoes, a dress, paint for a wall, a car... all different answers.

    Thx.
  • ythannah
    ythannah Posts: 4,371 Member
    Silence is not consent. Silence is silence, period.

    I've never hear that expression. I'm guessing whoever coined it wanted to make the assumption that a lack of response (or lack of protest) meant agreement.

    At a vote you have those in favour, those opposed and possibly abstainers. Abstention is not a vote one way or the other, it is a lack of vote. Same with silence.
  • TarryTaffyTwo
    TarryTaffyTwo Posts: 448 Member
    ythannah wrote: »
    Silence is not consent. Silence is silence, period.

    I've never hear that expression. I'm guessing whoever coined it wanted to make the assumption that a lack of response (or lack of protest) meant agreement.

    At a vote you have those in favour, those opposed and possibly abstainers. Abstention is not a vote one way or the other, it is a lack of vote. Same with silence.

    Nicely said. I agree... still wondering which subject the OP in mind?
  • cowsfan12
    cowsfan12 Posts: 6,135 Member
    Usually at the end of conference calls you will hear the phrase “silence is golden” basically saying if you don’t speak up you agreee and in essence consent to what was just proposed - at least in corporate America - The op didn’t elaborate on what they were referring to, so there Are various context In which this can be applied. -it’s not black and white as some disagree’ers May think - if you gone disagree at least offer a counter point yo - this would be a classic example where silence is not golden. - state your case or don’t disagree just my 2 cents but - what do I know ?? 🤷‍♂️ -
  • mattig89ch
    mattig89ch Posts: 2,648 Member
    TwitchyMacGee wrote: »
    I see the difficulty here.

    No, in the case of a passed out drunk girl, her silence is not consent. Eta: but if you’re a bystander not intervening on her behalf, guess what. You consented to her assault

    if you allow abuses to happen to other people you share culpability.

    ^This is what I've always understood that phrase to mean. If you simply stay silent while something you know is wrong happens, you allowed it to happen.

    I've mostly heard it in the form of government over reach. Not contacting your law makers to support/oppose a law for example.

  • iMago
    iMago Posts: 8,714 Member
    you find out your boss is embezzling.
    your boss's boss is also part of it.

    you have a family. you can't lose the job. especially right now.

    so you say nothing. you don't report it for fear of losing your job and/or the business being shut down

    does that mean you're just as culpable as them in the end?
  • TwitchyMacGee
    TwitchyMacGee Posts: 3,120 Member
    iMago wrote: »
    you find out your boss is embezzling.
    your boss's boss is also part of it.

    you have a family. you can't lose the job. especially right now.

    so you say nothing. you don't report it for fear of losing your job and/or the business being shut down

    does that mean you're just as culpable as them in the end?

    Yeah see? Not black & white.
  • amorfati601070
    amorfati601070 Posts: 2,890 Member
    edited March 2020
    No
  • Motorsheen
    Motorsheen Posts: 20,508 Member
    iMago wrote: »
    you find out your boss is embezzling.
    your boss's boss is also part of it.

    you have a family. you can't lose the job. especially right now.

    so you say nothing. you don't report it for fear of losing your job and/or the business being shut down

    does that mean you're just as culpable as them in the end?

    I think you're asking the wrong question.

    If your boss is embezzling and you, alone, are aware of it.

    The better question is: How much can I extort from the boss to keep quiet ??

    It's also smart to develop a strategy of plausible deniability and position yourself to take over the the role of 'boss' once he is found out and indicted.


    Obviously, I'm clowning.



    .... I would never want to be 'the boss', there's too much responsibility.
  • GettinLean19
    GettinLean19 Posts: 452 Member
    I’ve dealt with a form of this, specifically the question: are you responsible for what your friends do and should you hold them publicly accountable for those actions? Is there a responsibility to end a friendship because of an unpleasant altercation they have with someone else? My answer is and always has been a resounding no. People are responsible for their own actions. I will never feel that I have the responsibility or even the right to make people do what I think is the ‘right’ thing. I will definitely disagree with my friends at some point. That doesn’t make them less worthy to be my friend; hell, I don’t even want to be surrounded only by people who agree with me and/or do what I want.

    I have had acquaintances in the past that have taken issue with my desire to be Switzerland during an altercation, and unsurprisingly they have ultimately chosen to sever contact with me over it. Ehh. You can’t please everyone. I am always surprised at how controlling people try to be in those situations, but my feeling will always be to live and let live.

    Does that mean that if I find out my friend has committed a crime that I automatically wouldn’t report it because it’s ‘not my business’? No. Would I struggle with the moral dilemma? Probably, although it depends on the crime I suppose. But I won’t tolerate people trying to emotionally blackmail me into handling something the way they want me to. If you don’t trust my judgment, you likely never knew me well in the first place anyway.
  • cowsfan12
    cowsfan12 Posts: 6,135 Member
    Nice dialog folks - nothing is black and white. There are a slew of different ways this can viewed as you’ve all pointed out. There is no blanket right or wrong answer here
  • that_night_in_paris
    that_night_in_paris Posts: 457 Member
    I learned about this once in my humanities class

    Basically if you don't stand up and fight for human rights on behalf of those who are being oppressed, then you my friend are complicit

    And therefore you must be banned from having ice cream

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