Very interesting and this program is always worth hearing. One caveat: my late partner was never afraid of what others said or speaking out. She proved this over and over and no one ever got upset or mad. When she was growing up in Iran she was small and tried everything to grow even to the point of using gravity boots to stretch her body. Didn't work. When she became an adult she found this actually worked in her favor. A petite, dark haired smiling woman was never seen as a threat so people seldom had their guards up and were often shocked into being speechless. Many tole her that if they said the things she did they would be dealt with unpleasantly. All she ever got was an open mouth. She often said if she had stayed in Iran she would be either dead or in prison because of her mouth and everyone who knew her agreed. Point is, a persons 'body language' can go a long way into shaping their personality.

Maybe for some, but not all. Moreover, how is a political scientist or an economist qualified to analyze how our personal, professional and political lives are shaped by the fear of what others think?

If someone on here knows.........I’d love to hear it.

Nothing new. Such behavior is to be expected any time when th privately expressed opinions are at odds with the beliefs and attitudes which are the norms within a cohesive group. Leon Festinger's work in the 1950s and 1960s about cognitive dissonance predicts such behavior.