There have been situations I’ve regretted speaking up, but there have also been situations I’ve regretted not speaking up. In particular, when I predicted somet

There have been situations I’ve regretted speaking up, but there have also been situations I’ve regretted not speaking up. In particular, when I predicted something and could’ve convinced people to avert it or given myself credibility. When you speak, you reveal yourself (or create an illusion). This includes your bias and ignorance, but also your trustworthiness and intelligence. If you don’t speak, people won’t think you’re dumb or rude, but they also won’t trust or befriend you. A better message is “think before you speak”. First I would decide whether the speech brings value to the conversation (don’t say something mundane or obvious), then weigh that against the drawbacks (don’t upset people for the sake of it, although it may be worth it to upset them if they still take the feedback constructively, or if you’re primarily talking to other people). Of course, this also applies to writing, even anonymously on Hacker News. The stakes are much lower, but (certainly not uncommon) think before you post (or comment): if you think it would be novel and valuable, do post, but if not, wait.