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The dark side of silence
Giving someone the silent treatment can be harmfully addictive for the perpetrator.
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Silence is not only an instrument of subjugation, it can also be weaponised as what is known as "the silent treatment".
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: ISTOCKPHOTO
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When I was a child, it was common to hear the English proverb that children should only be seen and not heard. I never quite understood why that should be so - maybe it was thought we should learn the virtues of silence: modesty, deference, refrain and politeness.
I don't remember that my parents particularly imposed that on me, but I do remember that in my first year of primary school, I was shy.
