<a href="mailto:[email protected]?subject=Revision:%20Concepts/Self Censorship%20-%2020260302211908" style="border:1px solid #555; padding:4px 12px; border-radius:4px; color:#a89ee8; text-decoration:none; font-size:0.9em; background-color:#2a2a2a;">📩 Submit a Revision/Addition</a> Self-censorship is the act of censoring or minimizing one's own exploration of ideas. It is often done subconsciously by way of a cultural norm of a workplace, school or among friends. It can be something as simple as being confused about a topic but yet never bringing it up or exploring it on your own, not even out of fear for your safety, but even just a small assumption that someone could make you the butt of a joke. The passive threat of social pressure or fear of being an outcast can be enough for people to convince themselves that certain subjects aren’t worth even talking about which is why many who do self censor also become angry when such topics are brought up because of the self-conditioning they have done to themselves, in a sort of emotional “self flagellation” type of way. People who tend to steer away from topics have only done just enough thinking in regards to the repercussions of discussion, and not actually exploration of the topic itself which is why there only reaction to topics like that tend to be hate and anger which come from a place of fear. The fear of being ostracized by their friends, family and coworkers. To them, it can feel like you’re playing with a nuclear bomb which is often why they will look at you as if you’re so dumb and don’t know what you’re doing by talking about things like that. Because you don’t know the (self inflicted) pain that can be caused by some topics so the solution is usually to stop talking about it, otherwise their nightmares could come true or to eliminate you from their group, which can further self reinforce that the likely outcome that they assume will happen if they were to bring such topics up would happen, because well… they just did it to you, so it’s probably pretty likely… Some people will often take the most extreme example of a phenomenon like this and when it is simply not that, they feel that they are exempt when that is simply not true, we can all be susceptible once you understand what it is. [More information here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-censorship)