“Elisabeth Noelle–Neumann, the spiral of silence – public opinion, our social skin”

The purpose of the present article is to present a phenomenon that happens in our society more often than the common sense can tell. The main idea is that whenever a topic starts a collective debate in a society it is almost inevitable that the phenomenon of “spiral of silence” will occur. The “spiralling” effect emerges depending on how a dominant opinion gains increasing visibility over one or several minority opinions. Starting from what was known at that time as “last-minute swing” phenomenon, over the years theoretical additions transformed it into “the spiral of silence” theory. Its core idea is that those who perceive themselves as a minority are less likely to express their opinion publicly due to the (social) costs attached. This phenomenon is possible because the individual has two natures: an individual one and a social one, to which a fear of isolation that can attract criticism, scorn, laughter, or other signs of disapproval is added.