Arthur Brooks has written a powerful essay on the enduring harm and cruelty of the silent treatment. I especially loathe it as a parenting strategy. Sharing with gift link. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
It can ruin your relationships.
What I wish the author had done was better define what they meant. Silence after explaining harm can be setting a boundary - especially if you're the one with less power, like a child to a parent. It's not that the only good silence is a meditation retreat!
Connie, thanks so much for sharing this article. This was pretty much the only “tool” my dad had in his parenting toolbox. I chose to cut off contact a decade ago after I saw him consistently doing the same with my young kids and seeing how hurt they were by his behavior. It’s devastating.
My mom gave me the silent treatment for a whole vacation when she didn't like something I said as a teenager. She ignored me in front of all of our relatives for days and days. I'll never forget that.
I’m only nervous that since it’s written from a male perspective, he’s missing how boundaries set (often by women) are for protection from those who treat them poorly.