How silence compounds
People who believe their view is unpopular may stay quiet. Their silence makes the view appear even less common and can keep others with similar concerns quiet too.
A group can then overestimate consensus because visible speech is not the same as actual preference distribution.
Why this affects voting
If a decision process relies mainly on visible discussion, minority concerns may never become formal alternatives or measurable opposition.
Even when a vote happens, participants may need a way to express degree of opposition rather than only a reluctant yes or no.
How Nicolas relates
Nicolas supports positive and negative intensity, so dissent can be recorded as part of the decision signal.
The tool is not a substitute for psychological safety, but it can make the final support and opposition record more explicit.