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Here’s some good news this Election Day: Americans actually agree on a lot. 

The bad news? They’re afraid to say it. 

That’s according to a  by the nonpartisan think tank , which found that most Americans (58 percent) feel they cannot speak honestly on hot-button topics. Additionally, 61 percent of Americans admit to self-censoring for fear of offending others. 

This is about more than just run-of-the-mill “don’t talk about politics or religion at the dinner table” self-censorship, though. Populace found that not only are Americans declining to say what they think, they’re also misrepresenting their actual beliefs. 

In their survey of more than 19,000 American adults, Populace looked at “the gap between Americans’ privately held beliefs and their publicly stated opinions” on more than 60 “sensitive topics” ranging from American political institutions to gun ownership, religion, the economy, and more. 

The study uncovered notable differences between private beliefs and public statements on key issues. Take, for instance, government speech control: Just 5 percent of Americans privately agree with the statement, “The government should restrict the expression of views deemed discriminatory or offensive.” But publicly, 26 percent agree. That’s a lot more people publicly claiming they want to hand over their free speech rights to government authorities. 

Americans are honest with each other on some issues but are less open on many of the major topics of discussion this election cycle. For example, according to the study, 37 percent of Americans are willing to agree publicly that “We live in a mostly fair society.” Privately, just 7 percent. Publicly, two-thirds of Americans say they support school choice in public education, but privately, that number jumps to nearly 80 percent. Publicly, about a quarter of Americans trust the media to be truthful, but that number drops to 7 percent privately. And publicly, more than half of Americans agree that “The government should close the U.S.-Mexico border,” but privately, that majority disappears and just a third agree. 

When people don’t say what they really think we get a misleading picture of public opinion. As Populace points out, “when this kind of cultural distortion becomes widespread in a society it can do lasting damage by driving the kind of false polarization and collective illusions that limit cooperation, erode trust, and hold back social progress.” 

After all the votes are cast, we must still embrace the most basic tenet of a robust free speech culture: Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

In fact, one of Populace’s key findings is that on “two-thirds of the sensitive issues studied (43 of 64), ranging from abortion rights and school choice to legal immigration and voter ID requirements, 90% of demographic groups are privately on the same side of the issues.” Yet self-silencing and self-censorship persist.  

Hiding our true opinions has real consequences. We miss out on understanding what our fellow citizens genuinely think and believe. It’s encouraging to note Populace found that few people honestly support government policing of “offensive” speech, but the government isn’t the only threat to freedom of expression. 

The First Amendment protects us from censorial government officials, but as we so often quote here at ������ýapp�ٷ�, “Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can even do much to help it.” 

If we cannot protect a culture that welcomes the free exchange of ideas — the free exchange of truly held beliefs — the First Amendment won’t save us.  

The inability to say what we really think can also create a false sense of conformity, where those who want to speak out don’t for fear of reprisal. In the Hans Christian Andersen classic “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” two enterprising con men posing as tailors convince the emperor that his nonexistent garments are made of a fabric so fine they are only visible to the competent and intelligent. Everyone goes along with the charade to avoid looking incompetent or stupid. Social pressures can scare us all into silence even when we think the truth is as obvious as a man walking naked down the street.     

But that fear of speaking our minds shouldn’t come as a surprise. If people face repercussions such as getting fired or expelled for saying what they really think, then we stop being honest with each other. ������ýapp�ٷ�’s own recent research shows that around 40 percent of people are worried about losing a job because someone complained about their speech. 

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We have to show grace to our fellow citizens when they say things we don’t like — or even when they say things we find morally reprehensible. It is a human instinct to want to censor, but we all have a personal responsibility to resist that impulse. Notably, Populace also found that “Americans who self-silence have less trust in other people.” If we can’t trust that our jobs, our education, and our social networks are safe even if we have a controversial opinion, of course we won’t talk openly and honestly with each other.

Many Americans see voting as a civic duty, but the work of democracy extends beyond the ballot box. We all must support a culture that nourishes the freedom to discuss and debate our beliefs with our fellow citizens. After all the votes are cast, we must still embrace the most basic tenet of a robust free speech culture: Everyone is entitled to their opinion.