The Unintended Power of Silent Approval
Created at: July 9, 2025
What you permit, you promote. — Eric Thomas
Understanding Implicit Endorsement
Eric Thomas’s succinct quote highlights a subtle but profound truism: our silence and inaction can be as impactful as vocal endorsement. By permitting certain behaviors or attitudes—whether in a workplace, home, or community—we inadvertently signal that such actions are acceptable. This phenomenon shows that boundaries are not only defined by what we prohibit, but also by what we tacitly allow.
The Ripple Effect in Organizations
Expanding on this idea, organizational culture often hinges on unspoken norms. If inappropriate conduct goes unaddressed, it can quietly permeate the environment. Harvard Business Review (2016) documented cases where lack of intervention in minor rule-breaking led to larger ethical breaches, demonstrating how what is tolerated becomes woven into the fabric of a group’s standards.
Historical Lessons of Complicity
History offers sobering examples of the consequences of permitting injustice. For instance, Martin Luther King Jr. famously wrote, 'In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.' Inaction—whether regarding civil rights or other social movements—has often enabled harmful systems to endure far longer than direct opposition alone could sustain them.
Personal Responsibility and Agency
Additionally, applying Thomas’s insight to personal relationships, psychologists emphasize the importance of setting boundaries. Allowing disrespectful or hurtful behavior to continue unchecked often results in its escalation. This underlines an individual’s responsibility to address issues early, as domestic and interpersonal dynamics are shaped not only by what is done, but by what is not confronted.
Proactive Leadership and Culture Change
Recognizing the link between permission and promotion, effective leaders proactively address undesirable behavior to shape a culture of accountability. As exemplified in Netflix’s corporate culture, frequent, open conversations about standards prevent the normalization of negative behavior. Ultimately, the choice to permit or challenge determines the values that take root—in organizations and in the broader society.