Quiet signals in political change

What is your favourite lesson from history?

A personal rule of thumb is that quiet developments are more often dangerous than loud ones. During political upheaval, watch the people and decisions operating out of public view, and notice what speakers leave unsaid.

As a personal rule of thumb, the greatest dangers in political upheaval often come from quiet activity. The people shouting in revolutionary crowds are, in this interpretation, very rarely the ones governments most need to worry about. The danger lies with people moving out of sight and making quiet decisions. The analogy is walking alone: a loud noise usually means something is happening, while a barely audible sound can be a threat approaching unseen. Speech offers another example. Words left unsaid can have as much meaning as spoken words, either because saying them is unnecessary or because the person talking has read the room more carefully than the listener.