harmlessnessshowing
Harmlessnessshowing is a neologism describing the deliberate demonstration or signaling of harmlessness in social interactions to reduce perceived threat, increase trust, or facilitate cooperation. The term merges harmlessness with showing and is used to describe both verbal assurances and nonverbal cues that convey nonthreatening intent. In practice, it may involve calm language, transparent explanations of intentions, relaxed posture, open gestures, and consistent, nonaggressive behavior.
In applied contexts, harmlessnessshowing can appear in mediation, conflict de-escalation, customer service, or cross-cultural encounters where
Limitations and criticisms include concerns that the strategy may be perceived as insincere, manipulative, or unsustainable
Related concepts encompass nonverbal communication, trust-building, de-escalation techniques, and signaling theory. See also references to broader