Is Silence Golden or Cowardice?

This old adage that silence is golden is very much exaggerated if you ask someone that relies on feedback to validate a position or thought or even a political stand on some moral issues that impact our communities or society in some form or another. This viewpoint was worthy of me giving it another thought and determine whether silence is indeed golden or a mark of cowardice in mankind. It is often perceived to be a sign of being “yellow” and given a negative overtone that can't be defended at times.

How to you remain silent when the danger is imminent and is needed to preserve life? How do you justify your silence if your words may mean the difference between right and wrong? It all comes down to your own conscience and your ability to control your tongue when it it time to speak or say nothing at all. Thinking the tongue is only capable of speaking evil often justifies not speaking at all since the tongue has been known to whispering rumors, gossip, backbiting, lying, slandering and other negative behaviors or actions that may cause a liability of personal responsibility to be invoked.

Thus it could be understood why silence can be golden. However, exploring the other side of it being cowardice, we find this action of remaining silent in the face of danger, challenges or struggles as a sign of weakness and unwillingness to speak out to defend one self or others. Under what conditions is it proper to speak out and be proclaimed courageous and brave under such circumstances.

Treading the grave issues and problems facing society and workplaces today, it has become most difficult to speak out for fear of reprisals or retaliations that are protected by rule of law in some cases but left unprotected in many more. One should not merely speak out and warn others of dangers or difficulties just because they are afraid or fear others may be hurt. It must be done because of the values between doing the right thing and the wrong things in such circumstances.

Additionally one must not be silence because they fear condemnation, rebuke of their words or errors in their delivery . Breaking the silence should be prompted because rather than remaining silent, they chose to warn others of dangers or difficulties by telling what they believe to be the truth or their role in this particular situation demanded it was their duty to speak out and not shun their role responsibility as well as the trust put into them by others around them. Yet when it all said and done, there are many today are remaining silent when circumstances and conditions demand that they speak up.

What other options are there? Well you can become apathetic to the problems, or a fence sitter or the compromising individual that discards their personal responsibilities and refuse to carry the load or accept the obligation to help, support or build up others and encourage change or other actions that are righteous in content but carry condemnation with actions by the opposition or others not in agreement with your values or direction. Hence it still might come down to whether speaking up or remaining silent is a characterization of cowardice and not of courage for such person lends strength to the forces of evil and by failing to oppose can be considered and counted as the enemy as well for all practical purposes.

Actively or passively, they support the opposition with their silence and help create the abyss that divides the right way from the wrong way of doing things based on human morality values and norms. Speaking out won't be popular but it will support those who have an honest and good heart; and who have the courage and dedication to faithfully express the truth.