Silence can be weaponized to abandon, invalidate, pressure, provoke, or punish. — Key points Unreflective people can ghost meaningful and necessary conversations to avoid taking responsibility for harm and being vulnerable. Entitled individuals can deploy the silent treatment to resist yielding to and reciprocating respect for others’ values, needs, and boundaries. Manipulators can weaponize non-responses to frame victims as immature and unstable, thereby deflecting…