The Cost of Silence

One question from Call Me by Your Name has stayed with me for years: "Is it better to speak or to die?" In this episode, I explore why vulnerability feels so frightening, why silence can sometimes feel safer than honesty, and whether the real cost isn't rejection, but wondering what might have happened if we'd only found the courage to speak. Along the way, I reflect on literature, love, regret, and the surprisingly different answers I received when I asked the people closest to me the same question.