How Do You Convey a Knowledge Growing and at the Same Time Not Declare It Directly?

I grew up in the midwest, and i've constantly been shocked now that i live on the east coast of how frank and direct people will be about their feelings. I'm used to a world that was probably more like henry james's where people just, they hid everything that they thought and they didn't confront people directly. And it is fascinating to me how long people are willing to go without having that conversation that could upend things. Now, the status quo, you know, you are. But there were words you couldn't utter. You couldn't say them. Ri couldn't say the word sex very rarely. Wes always make love, and when you find tati