
1. Fear – This is the fear of consequences that may follow through if we voice an opinion that is contrary to what someone else is saying. It is the fear of being punished for calling out someone in a position to hurt us physically, emotionally, or financially. It is the fear of being branded as a conflict-seeker. It is the fear of being noticed and coming into the limelight for the wrong reasons.
2. Ambiguity – Ambiguity keeps us from speaking up when we are not sure about what is really happening. A comment that has racist undertones has us wondering whether our interpretation is right or whether we may face backlash for assuming that the comment was racist. A study showed how people did not react when they heard a loud crash and did not move to help. However, when the loud crash was followed by a human groaning out in pain, a significantly larger number of people sprung up to help. As humans, we do not want to be wrong in our judgment because we worry about being judged.
Often standing up and speaking up against something on your alone can be scary. If you are facing a particular kind of nasty behavior or speech that seems to have become a norm in your area, community, school, or workplace, try finding other people who share your concern. The idea is not to start a protest but to know that there are other people who have your back when you speak up.