The Safest Opinion? No Opinion.

Published on: 22-09-2025

Cancel culture and the cost of silence.

Written by Stephen Cox

“Disagreement is treason.” Umberto Eco meant it as a warning about authoritarianism, but scroll your feed for five minutes and tell me it doesn’t hit home. These days, the safest strategy online is to keep your mouth shut. Post a cat meme, maybe a coffee shot. Say anything remotely spicy and—bam—welcome to the comment crossfire.

But here’s the kicker: by staying silent, we hand over the very debate that keeps society from flatlining.

Cancel Culture Doesn’t Do Sides

Once upon a time, cancel culture was “that thing the other team does.” Cute story. Now everyone’s in on it.

On the left: call-outs, purity tests, dogpiles for anyone who steps half an inch off-script.

On the right: different slogans, same ice bath for people who question the party line.

Disagreement has become betrayal, no matter whose banner you wave.

Why Buttoning Up Feels Safer

Social media is basically an outrage slot machine—pull the lever, watch the drama coins spill out. Every post is judged instantly, often by people who’ve never met you and have zero interest in context.

So, we retreat. Better to stay bland than risk professional exile or a weekend of DMs telling you to “educate yourself.” The price of speaking is obvious. The price of silence? Less so… until everything starts sounding the same.

The Cost of Clamming Up

Sure, quiet keeps your notifications peaceful. But it also starves public debate. Without friction, ideas don’t sharpen—they dull. When every camp polices thought, “neutral” becomes the default, and curiosity dies in the corner.

Irony alert: tools meant to defend moral purity now enforce conformity. Echo chambers thrive; nuance gets buried next to your old MySpace profile.

Take Back the Conversation

Courage doesn’t mean yelling the loudest. It means risking a little heat to keep dialogue alive. Thoughtful debate, principled dissent, respectful pushback—those aren’t treason; they’re oxygen for democracy.

Let’s not outsource our voices to algorithms or mobs. Speak carefully, listen well, and remember: disagreement isn’t betrayal. Silence born of fear? That’s surrender—and we’re better than that.