"Have you ever stayed silent when something didn't feel right, just to keep the peace? Maybe a colleague made an offhand remark that crossed a line. Maybe a friend gave you advice you didn't agree with. Maybe a superior made a request that went against your better judgment. You felt it in your body first-the knot in your stomach, the flutter in your chest, the sudden heat behind your neck. Something in you said no, but you smiled and remained silent."
"When I was a young doctor working in the U.K.'s National Health Service, I met with a financial advisor. He was confident and charming. For nearly an hour, I believed he was guiding me with my best interests at heart. Then, casually, he mentioned he would earn a commission if I followed his advice. In that instant, something changed inside me. I realized I no longer trusted him."
Insinuation anxiety is the fear of implying something negative about someone else, and it produces bodily signals such as knots in the stomach, chest fluttering, and sudden heat behind the neck. That anxiety drives people to smile and stay silent even when conscience urges them to speak. It causes agreement to unwanted tasks, laughter at hurtful remarks, and lingering discomfort. In one example, disclosure of a commission eroded trust yet increased the pressure to follow advice. The pattern appears across health care, business, and everyday life. Learning to notice and interpret that tension can change decision-making.
Read at Psychology Today
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