Spirling in Silence
By: Rhianna Dozier
Ever heard the saying, "Cat's got your tongue?" Well, you better make sure that cat holds on to it if you want to be accepted in a social group. There is a theory why people hold back their opinions even when they know the other person is wrong. It's like a newly married couple. You argue about something, and the next thing you know, you're sleeping on the couch. You make her breakfast the following day and tell her how sorry you are and that she was right, even though we both know she wasn't. You make up, and then you move on with your lives. This theory of wanting to keep peace and restrain from debating with others is called the spiral of silence.
In 1974, Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann proposed the spiral of silence theory that exemplifies "how sways in public opinion may come about, especially in morally and emotionally laden debates" ("The 'Spiral of Silence' Theory"). We hold back many different opinions on the daily. In fact, "most people have a natural-and mostly unconscious- fear of social isolation that prompts them to constantly monitor the behaviour of others for signs of approval or disapproval" ("Spiral of Silence"). People "exert 'isolation pressure' on other people, for instance, by frowning or turning away when somebody says or does something that is rejected by public opinion" ("The 'Spiral of Silence' Theory").
When in social settings, people hide their point of view because they would be exposing themselves to laughter and criticism from other parties. Humiliation is the worst kind of torture. But we are just speaking about small group settings. From a broader perspective, social media and politics play a large hand in contributing to the spiral of silence theory. The "mass media repeatedly and concordantly support one side in a public controversy" ("The 'Spiral of Silence' Theory"). If you express an opposing opinion about a political candidate at a party, don't expect an invitation to the next. When speaking about a topic with other people, one does not think about how others perceive their behavior. Popular belief "is limited in time and space. Wherever people live together in societies, public opinion will function as a mechanism of social control"( "The 'Spiral of Silence' Theory"). Your current circumstances will determine the approval or rejection of your opinion.
If you disagree with the majority opinion, and people turn away and act like they don't know you, don't worry. This spiral of silence seems cold and distressing, but it is necessary for our societies to function. For instance, "public opinion stabilizes and integrates society because conflicts will be resolved through spirals of silence in favor of one opinion" ("The 'Spiral of Silence' Theory"). This means that when time passes and the majority opinion is no longer relevant, society would have expressed not one but two differing opinions without even knowing it because you had the half with the majority opinion, and then you had the other half in the spiral of silence, which together form a majority opinion as well. Mind blown, I know, it's crazy. Personally, I like to speak my opinion, whether it's right or wrong, but maybe some hesitation is needed in situations where it matters most.
http://noelle-neumann.de/scientific-work/spiral-of-silence/
https://www.britannica.com/topic/spiral-of-silence
Ever heard the saying, "Cat's got your tongue?" Well, you better make sure that cat holds on to it if you want to be accepted in a social group. There is a theory why people hold back their opinions even when they know the other person is wrong. It's like a newly married couple. You argue about something, and the next thing you know, you're sleeping on the couch. You make her breakfast the following day and tell her how sorry you are and that she was right, even though we both know she wasn't. You make up, and then you move on with your lives. This theory of wanting to keep peace and restrain from debating with others is called the spiral of silence.
In 1974, Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann proposed the spiral of silence theory that exemplifies "how sways in public opinion may come about, especially in morally and emotionally laden debates" ("The 'Spiral of Silence' Theory"). We hold back many different opinions on the daily. In fact, "most people have a natural-and mostly unconscious- fear of social isolation that prompts them to constantly monitor the behaviour of others for signs of approval or disapproval" ("Spiral of Silence"). People "exert 'isolation pressure' on other people, for instance, by frowning or turning away when somebody says or does something that is rejected by public opinion" ("The 'Spiral of Silence' Theory"). When in social settings, people hide their point of view because they would be exposing themselves to laughter and criticism from other parties. Humiliation is the worst kind of torture. But we are just speaking about small group settings. From a broader perspective, social media and politics play a large hand in contributing to the spiral of silence theory. The "mass media repeatedly and concordantly support one side in a public controversy" ("The 'Spiral of Silence' Theory"). If you express an opposing opinion about a political candidate at a party, don't expect an invitation to the next. When speaking about a topic with other people, one does not think about how others perceive their behavior. Popular belief "is limited in time and space. Wherever people live together in societies, public opinion will function as a mechanism of social control"( "The 'Spiral of Silence' Theory"). Your current circumstances will determine the approval or rejection of your opinion.
If you disagree with the majority opinion, and people turn away and act like they don't know you, don't worry. This spiral of silence seems cold and distressing, but it is necessary for our societies to function. For instance, "public opinion stabilizes and integrates society because conflicts will be resolved through spirals of silence in favor of one opinion" ("The 'Spiral of Silence' Theory"). This means that when time passes and the majority opinion is no longer relevant, society would have expressed not one but two differing opinions without even knowing it because you had the half with the majority opinion, and then you had the other half in the spiral of silence, which together form a majority opinion as well. Mind blown, I know, it's crazy. Personally, I like to speak my opinion, whether it's right or wrong, but maybe some hesitation is needed in situations where it matters most. http://noelle-neumann.de/scientific-work/spiral-of-silence/
https://www.britannica.com/topic/spiral-of-silence
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