How to Weaponize Silence to Establish Authority

𝗧𝗵𝗲 #1 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹:

𝙎𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚. (Use it to 𝙧𝙚-establish authority)


Several months back I was being deposed in person.

I watched as opposing counsel became frustrated.

Because the deposition was not going well.

And panic was begging to set in.


She was very pleasant and friendly initially

But as her punchlines kept on falling flat

And her key points kept on whiffing

She became ever increasingly tense

I could sense things getting 𝙪𝙜𝙡𝙮


Suddenly:

• She'd cut me off abruptly
• She'd object at odd intervals
• She'd remind me that I was under oath
• She'd accuse me of being non-responsive

And I could see her grip on the narrative fading


𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙞𝙨 𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚-𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚?

The opposing summary statement, of course

... but I saw it coming and I was prepared


Attorney: "Doctor Gutman ... What happened is ..."

<She summarized the 𝙤𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 narrative>

Me: 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲

Attorney: <She stared at me>

Me: 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲

Attorney: (getting frustrated) "Well!?"

Me: "All I heard was your narrative."

Me: "Do you have a question for me?"

Attorney: (now agitated) "Let's take a break."


The case ended up settling shortly after my deposition


In the end:

An expert witness is there to answer questions

And in the absence of a question, silence is golden

Sometimes the strongest tool in the toolbox is just that

𝙎𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚.



𝘿𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙧𝙪𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤𝙤𝙡 𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙚𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣?