The Australian Dictionary of Invisible Culture for Teachers
having restraint in discourse
attitude: some people can think like this (see more)
Many people in Australia think like this:
It is not good for people to always say what they think.
Because of this, I do not always say what I think.
There are things I do not want to say. I do not want someone to feel something bad.
When I say what I think, I cannot say it like a thing that I know. I cannot say it like a thing that is true.
If I do, people can think something bad about me.
Note
This entry specifies some of the thought patterns which accompany the awareness that it is not always good to say something, with the key reasoning being 'I do not want someone to feel something bad'. This line doesn't specify that the somebody is the person you are talking to because it is possible that you don't want a third party to feel bad about something you said."I know Martha doesn't like it when I tell other people her exciting news. Because of this, I will not say it."
"I want to say that I know the concert has been cancelled. I cannot say it like a thing that I know. Because of this, I say it like this 'I think I heard somewhere that the concert this weekend has been cancelled'."
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