We often interpret silence as acceptance, approval, or agreement, but silence can mean many different things. Someone may be uncertain, uncomfortable, overwhelmed, or simply unwilling to argue.
Assuming we understand what another person’s silence means can lead us to conclusions they never intended. The absence of disagreement isn’t necessarily proof of support, just as the absence of an explanation doesn’t reveal someone’s thoughts.
Perhaps instead of deciding what silence means, we should recognize that understanding another person sometimes requires an actual conversation.
