The Violence of Silence

Dr. Robin Martin

We rarely consider how our personal actions—or our silence—fuel violence.Many of us, wrapped in the comfort of our own morality, cannot imagine ourselves as violent. We keep a safe distance from “those people,” holding tight to the idea that we are the good ones.

But it is this unwavering belief in our inherent goodness that allows us to avoid accountability.We fail to see how our silence, our comfort, and our inaction uphold a rotting system of human carnage.Until we—the collective we—are willing to see our full humanity—the good, the bad, and the ugly—we will remain complicit in the violent world we’ve helped create.

Segregation—of people, experiences, pain—is not just about race. It is a tool of disconnection, a quiet enabler of cruelty.Whether based on race, class, ability, gender, age, or sexuality, segregation keeps us from feeling the pain of others. It gives us permission to stay quiet. To do nothing.

But interconnectedness is the key.When we truly see ourselves in others—when we recognize that their destruction is tied to our own—we begin to act differently.That shift is what can disrupt mass human suffering.

Question: What if our silence has caused more harm than our mistakes ever could?What if our refusal to speak up—because it felt too risky, too uncomfortable—was the very thing that made someone else’s suffering worse?

Let’s be clear: silence is betrayal.Not just a betrayal of the people being harmed—but a betrayal of ourselves.Because if you live long enough, you too will face hardship. You too will cling to the brittle branches of life, praying that someone will show up for you with truth, with love, with courage.

And in that moment, the bold act of courage you long for will be the same courageous act someone once needed from you. #Navigate Courage