“Speaking up risks my image; silence is free.” It never is — the ideas you swallow get said by someone else, and the meeting learns to plan around you.
WIPE_SCRIPTS
The Science of Psychological Safety: Why Smart People Go Silent at Work
14 scripts this research explains — 'I didn't speak up because I didn't want to look stupid' and 'there's no point raising this — nothing ever changes' feel
“Every comment is a verdict, and every question I ask reveals what I don't know.” So you stop asking — which is the one move guaranteed to keep you not knowing.
The Feedback Flinch
“If it isn't flawless, it counts against me.” Output becomes evidence in a trial that never ends, so nothing safe ever ships.