Sometimes, but you need to take into account what P(voices criticism | has criticism) is. Otherwise you’ll constantly cave to vocal minorities (situations where the above probability is relatively large).
I’d say it comes under the ‘instrumental rationality’ heading. The chatter was clearly bothering the writer, but—irrationally—neither he nor the others (bar one) actually got up and said anything.
Since this has got 22 upvotes I must ask: What makes this a rationality quote?
Every actual criticism of an idea/behaviour is likely to imply a much larger quantity of silent doubt/disapproval.
Sometimes, but you need to take into account what P(voices criticism | has criticism) is. Otherwise you’ll constantly cave to vocal minorities (situations where the above probability is relatively large).
I’d say it comes under the ‘instrumental rationality’ heading. The chatter was clearly bothering the writer, but—irrationally—neither he nor the others (bar one) actually got up and said anything.
You could argue that the silence of the author and the woman behind the couple is an example of the bystander effect.