Silence is not agreement

I was on a podcast recently where someone said something I disagreed with.  Upon further reflection, I disagreed strongly with it.

It wasn’t a hot-button topic.  It was a general statement about business, entrepreneurship, and leadership.

I knew immediately that I disagreed with the statement. Although, at the time, I did not know why,((I do now)) I did know, immediately, that it wasn’t a moral issue for me.

Meaning, I didn’t need to know why I disagreed with the individual’s statement to know that I wasn’t going to die on that hill.

I was not prepared for the statement made by the other person.  I hadn’t ever actually asked myself about the topic before.  Like I said, when it was said, it immediately rubbed me the wrong way, but I didn’t know why, and I knew it wasn’t a statement that betrayed any of my values, so I was silent.

I allowed that person to make the statement, share their point of view, and we moved on.

My silence was not agreement.  It was just that.  Silence.

I had no opinion other than that I disagreed.  I had not thought about my opinion. I was not disturbed or emotionally charged.

Essentially, I was in a state of disagreement, not a state of disagreement-and-do-something-about-it.

So I said nothing. 

There was another time during this same podcast where an individual said something about me that I disagreed with.  In fact, the same statement was made twice, at different times, and I disagreed with it both times.

My first reaction was “Do I want to be associated with that statement?”

My second was “I didn’t make it, and I’d like to be associated with the statements I make, not ones others make for me.”

So this is my making my statement.

If I am silent in response to a comment, I am not necessarily agreeing with it.  I am probably indifferent to it. 

I am listening.

My peace is not being disturbed.

The opposite is also true.

I was on a different podcast and an individual made a joke that I thought was inappropriate. It was cheap, and I spoke up.

If I take a stand regarding a statement I disagree with, you know I’m serious.

My peace may not be disturbed, but my intention is to set the record straight.

If I don’t take a stand against a statement, I am not implicitly agreeing with it. It means I want to think about it more.  Most likely, I’ll meditate on it. It’s not that I agree or disagree, I either don’t know what I think, am indifferent, or don’t have the words to describe what I’m feeling yet.

I do not feel a need to always get to the bottom of everything.  Sometimes, I don’t feel it’s worth conversation.  And, even more importantly, it’s not worth my peace.

Once I’ve gathered myself, there’s a nonzero possibility my thoughts will become a blog post. Just like this.

In the present, I am peacefully listening.