Silence Implies Knowledge and Consent

I previously mentioned one of the best things I learned in graduate school, which led me to dwell on some of the other things I learned at school. One great piece of advice came from my high school math teacher, who said "silence implies knowledge". Essentially, if you didn't raise your hand or speak up when you had a question or comment, then he'd assume that you understood the topic being discussed, so he would thus immediately move on to the next topic and not look back. If you did have questions, though, he'd stop and take as much time as needed (well, within reason) to answer your questions.

I think his adage should also include consent - "silence implies knowledge and consent". So if you don't agree with something being discussed or have doubts about a matter, then you should voice your opinions and concerns. I'm not advocating just blurting out whatever is on your mind, but you can tell the appropriate moment when you should offer your thoughts. But if you don't say anything, then it should be assumed that you agree on the matter.

So in short, silence often works to your disadvantage; never hesitate to ask questions or speak your mind.