Opinion Occlusion

Etymology

opinion (Latin opinio, belief, conjecture) + occlusion (Latin occlusio, a shutting up, blockage).

Noun

opinion occlusion (uncountable and countable, plural opinion occlusions)

1. (social psychology) The suppression of a sincerely held view due to social pressure, conformity norms, or anticipated consequence. Distinguished from reticence in that the opinion exists but is actively withheld.

   The unanimous vote was less a consensus than a product of opinion occlusion, with several members privately dissenting.

2. (epistemology, media studies) The systemic sidelining of a viewpoint through agenda-setting, framing, or noise rather than direct censorship.
3. Any force, mechanism, or structure that blocks or suppresses an opinion or range of opinions from expression or consideration, particularly those originating from an opposing viewpoint or rival ideological tradition.
4. (rhetoric, informal) Any mechanism, deliberate or structural, by which a genuine judgment is displaced in expression by a safer or more palatable substitute.

   His carefully worded non-answer was textbook opinion occlusion, saying everything except what he actually thought.

5. (entertainment industry) The deliberate suppression of a public figure's personality, opinions, or ambitions by management or producers in order to preserve a commercially constructed image.

   Seol-hyun's dialogue on Running Man was so heavily edited that entire appearances passed with barely a sentence aired, a textbook opinion occlusion; it is speculated that her competitive nature was cut to protect the innocent image her agency had built around her.

Related terms

• preference falsification
• epistemic cowardice
• pluralistic ignorance
• chilling effect

See also

• self-censorship
• groupthink
• alignment tax

References

• MoribundMurdoch. "Opinion Occlusion [オピニオン・オクルージョン] Anything that obstructs or closes an opinion or a range of opinions (esp. opinions from an opposing camp or rival ideology)." The Moribundity Learns, Facebook, January 21, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1CqDvwmwZ3/.
• MoribundMurdoch. "Opinion Occlusion [オピニオン・オクルージョン] Anything that obstructs or closes an opinion or a range of opinions (esp. opinions from an opposing camp or rival ideology)." Twitter, January 21, 2022, https://x.com/MoribundMurdoch/status/1484706935547084805?s=20 .
• One Reason for Wikipedia's Opinion Occlusion
• Project Kino. "Running Man - The Curse of Beauty (ft. Seolhyun)." YouTube, accessed April 29, 2026. https://youtu.be/9fv1kqXBpW0?si=bWO8x4xPMzxIvNB8.

Categories

• English compound nouns
• Epistemology
• Psychology