Yeah, definitely a huge element of this. And also just a sense that speaking up isn't with the blowback you're going to face.

Even people who don't have particularly politically ideological friends or workplaces, who wouldn't lose their social circle or their job if they spoke some newly controversial truth, stay quite for an easy life.

It's the principle behind both the silent majority and the culture of fear that certain groups create. Bad ideas can only flourish if people are afraid to speak out against them.

Thanks for the recommendation! I'll check him out.