Definition:
Quiet assumptions are unspoken premises embedded in systems or decisions that shape outcomes without being formally acknowledged or debated.
Usage Context:
Seen in policy design, eligibility criteria, platform rules, workplace expectations, and bureaucratic processes.
Critical Note:
Quiet assumptions benefit from invisibility. Because they are not stated, they cannot be contested. When challenged, they are often defended as common sense rather than recognised as choices.
Related Terms:
Normalisation Pressure, False Neutrality, Institutional Self-Alignment