Definition: The art of aggressively pretending minor inconveniences, major betrayals, or festering interpersonal grenades don’t exist by shoving them under the proverbial carpet instead of addressing them head-on. Practitioners often mistake this for “keeping the peace” or “being the bigger person,” when in reality it’s just emotional procrastination dipped in avoidance sauce. Common among family gatherings, toxic workplaces, and passive-aggressive friendships, where acknowledging the elephant in the room might require actual effort. Consequences include resentment volcanoes erupting years later over who forgot Aunt Carol’s gluten-free brownie recipe in 2017, and entire relationships collapsing because nobody wanted to “rock the boat” until it capsized from unspoken grievances. It’s the social equivalent of hiding dirty dishes in the oven before guests arrive – temporarily tidy, fundamentally disgusting, and guaranteed to reek of unresolved conflict when someone preheats the damn oven.