Authority is exercised through careful speech and silence
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Core Principle
Authority is exercised through careful speech and silence.
Meaning
In Tsm’syen law, authority is not asserted through volume, force, or repetition. It is demonstrated through restraint, timing, and discernment.
Words carry weight. Silence carries responsibility.
General Principles
- Careful speech: Words are chosen for clarity, necessity, and consequence.
- Lawful silence: Silence may be used to prevent escalation or imbalance.
- Restraint as authority: The ability to withhold speech is a sign of lawful control.
- Protection of dignity: Speech and silence both serve to protect people from harm.
- Witnessed conduct: Authority is recognized over time through consistent restraint.
Lawful use
Elders may exercise authority by:
- speaking only when clarification is needed
- withholding speech when emotions are heightened
- allowing time for reflection before decisions
- preventing premature or harmful judgments
- signaling limits without confrontation
Limits
- Silence is not avoidance of responsibility.
- Silence does not replace lawful process.
- Speech is required when harm, imbalance, or misuse of power persists.
- Authority is not secrecy; it remains accountable to witnesses.
Modern context
In modern governance and dispute resolution, this principle guards against:
- performative leadership
- escalation through public statements
- decision-making driven by reaction rather than law
- misuse of authority through intimidation or spectacle