Noun
self-censorship (usually uncountable, plural self-censorships)
The act of censoring one's own work or what one says without overt pressure from any specific party or institution of authority, often for fear of sanctions.
Self-censorship is insulting to the self. Timidity is a hopeless way forward. Ai Weiwei
But poets were not considered dangerous and they were advised to exercise self-censorship. At most, poets were requested not to write at all. I took advantage of this negative liberty. Eugenio Montale
It was clear to me that all over the world publishing is a problem. Whether than it through self-censorship or overt censorship. Julian Assange
You should not be subjected to the pressures, the intimidation, whether by Government or by the private sector, which would force you into self-censorship. Alfred de Zayas
I think the enemy is self-censorship. In a free society the biggest danger is that you're afraid to the point where you censor yourself. Tim Robbins
Scholars, who pride themselves on speaking their minds, often engage in a form of self-censorship which is called "realism." To be "realistic" in dealing with a problem is to work only among the alternatives which the most powerful in society put forth. Howard Zinn