grahamg
Old codger
- Location
- South of Manchester, UK
It crossed my mind I once experienced, or even attributed to what someone might call a "conspiracy of silence", (though exactly how much conspiring actually went on remains a bit of a mystery, if any in fairness?)?
Why it might fit the definition I've found is that at least one person maybe responsible in any conspiracy, did go further than you'd have expected not to let on about lets call it a "family secret", (ironically something kept from our brother). She went to stay with our brother for a week and still said nothing to him or his family.
I eventually tried to indicate to my brother as gently as possible what he and his wife had been kept in the dark concerning, and I'd been guilty of hiding from him for a couple of years. He saw straight through my "dressing things up", although in the end fences were mended with those who had falsely accused him of whatever it was, and everyone more or less returned to normal levels of communication and friendliness.
Oh, and the sibling who stayed with our brother critised my revealing what was going on to him would you believe!
Sorry to be bit cute about this example I've cited, though the details dont really matter to this thread discussion, as it is simply about whether or not other forum members believe they've experienced a conspiracy of silence used against them, or else taken part in such behaviour, to the extent I did, or even more so perhaps(?).
BTW here is the definition of a conspiracy of silence I'm accepting as accurate:
"A conspiracy of silence, or culture of silence, describes the behavior of a group of people of some size, as large as an entire national group or profession or as small as a group of colleagues, that by unspoken consensus does not mention, discuss, or acknowledge a given subject. The practice may be motivated by positive interest in group solidarity or by such negative impulses as fear of political repercussion or social ostracism. It differs from avoiding a taboo subject in that the term is applied to more limited social and political contexts rather than to an entire culture. As a descriptor, conspiracy of silence implies dishonesty, sometimes cowardice, sometimes privileging loyalty to one social group over another. As a social practice, it is rather more extensive than the use of euphemisms to avoid addressing a topic directly."
Why it might fit the definition I've found is that at least one person maybe responsible in any conspiracy, did go further than you'd have expected not to let on about lets call it a "family secret", (ironically something kept from our brother). She went to stay with our brother for a week and still said nothing to him or his family.
I eventually tried to indicate to my brother as gently as possible what he and his wife had been kept in the dark concerning, and I'd been guilty of hiding from him for a couple of years. He saw straight through my "dressing things up", although in the end fences were mended with those who had falsely accused him of whatever it was, and everyone more or less returned to normal levels of communication and friendliness.
Oh, and the sibling who stayed with our brother critised my revealing what was going on to him would you believe!
Sorry to be bit cute about this example I've cited, though the details dont really matter to this thread discussion, as it is simply about whether or not other forum members believe they've experienced a conspiracy of silence used against them, or else taken part in such behaviour, to the extent I did, or even more so perhaps(?).
BTW here is the definition of a conspiracy of silence I'm accepting as accurate:
"A conspiracy of silence, or culture of silence, describes the behavior of a group of people of some size, as large as an entire national group or profession or as small as a group of colleagues, that by unspoken consensus does not mention, discuss, or acknowledge a given subject. The practice may be motivated by positive interest in group solidarity or by such negative impulses as fear of political repercussion or social ostracism. It differs from avoiding a taboo subject in that the term is applied to more limited social and political contexts rather than to an entire culture. As a descriptor, conspiracy of silence implies dishonesty, sometimes cowardice, sometimes privileging loyalty to one social group over another. As a social practice, it is rather more extensive than the use of euphemisms to avoid addressing a topic directly."
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