Wise men say nothing in dangerous times.

There are periods when saying what you think carries a real cost and buys nothing, and people who have lived through a few get quiet. That is not the same as having no view, it is a judgment about timing and audience. This silence has an ugly cousin, the kind that only protects a comfortable position, and the two are easy to confuse from outside. The honest version knows what it is holding and why.

When you choose not to speak, be clear about which one you are doing. If it is safety, name the day you will say it anyway, and keep the view intact in the meantime.