Silence Is Not Strength: Learn When To Speak Up
I have heard a lot of people say that "silence is golden," but what they also do not understand is that it does not always follow that way. When you keep quiet or remain silent when you should have spoken out, it can lead to some very negative consequences. Some people think that silence means maturity, or a mark of wisdom, or event strength. However, the true strength actually lies in having enough courage to speak out when something is going wrong. Remember that if you do not speak out when things are not right, they may continue.
There was something that an acquaintance told me and it proved why one needs to speak out in the face of wrong. In her neighbourhood, a particular wrong happened. However, who it happened to was who she did not like, probably they had a misunderstanding in the past. What she did not realise is that an injustice to one, if it is not dealt with, can extend to others. Even when others expected her to have said something or made a move because of the strategic position she occupied both in her career and in the neighbourhood, she chose silence. Well, not up to 1 month after the first incidence happened, another one happened. Funny enough, it was also to someone who she did not seem to get along with, so she kept quiet. In fact, she even said that he deserved it.
Her silence and the silence of others who also reasoned like her, through those times of wrongs, were part of what made it continue. It was not long and she became a direct victim of the wrong; it happened to her. This time, there was no one willing to speak out for her. It was at this time that she started lending her voice to speak against the wrong when she already experienced it. If she had spoken out and if others also lent their voice, it would have prevented the ill from continuing. Sometimes, the perpetuation of evil is because the voice of the good people are not heard. If everyone rises up to speak out in the face of a wrong, it will limit it or even prevent it from happening again.
That something does not affect you directly does not mean that you should keep quiet and allow it to keep happening. What if it eventually gets to you, how will you stand against it when others who should have stood up with you becomes unwilling because you kept quiet during their own time? Staying silent in the face of evil can indirectly mean that you are supporting it without even knowing. In the face of evil, silence can be equated to consent.
It is worthy to note that when you speak out against negative influences or any other ill, you will also encourage others who are passing through the same thing to speak out. When your voice, and the voices of others join together, you will achieve something great. You do not wait until you have achieved something great or when you feel you now have a voice in the society before you speak out against an ill. Right from where you are, even within your neighborhood, you can lend your voice towards a "righteous" course. There is almost nothing that is strong enough to withstand the collective voice of a people demanding for a change.
No matter how long something wrong has been happening and how many people are involved, it still does not make it right, and you should not be silent and allow it to continue. It it true that you may be overwhelmed by the number of people engaged in it, but your voice can make a difference, and can even trigger a ripple effect that will also cause others to also lend their voices. Trust me, a lot of others who are silent do not also agree with the wrong, but they may just be afraid to speak out. But when you speak out, you will be surprised how motivated others will become to also speak out and your collective voices will be loud and clear.
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