If you don’t say anything, you won’t be called on to repeat it.
—Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933) American Head of State, Lawyer
Repentance for silence is better than repentance for speaking.
—Spanish Proverb
Don’t talk unless you can improve the silence.
—Jorge Luis Borges (1899–1986) Argentine Writer, Essayist, Poet
Silence is the highest wisdom of a fool as speech is the greatest trial of a wise man.—If thou wouldst be known as wise, let thy words show thee so; if thou doubt thy words, let thy silence feign thee so.—It is not a greater point of wisdom to discover knowledge than to hide ignorance.
—Francis Quarles (1592–1644) English Religious Poet
Silence fertilizes the deep place where personality grows. A life with a peaceful center can weather all storms.
—Norman Vincent Peale (1898–1993) American Clergyman, Self-Help Author
Silence is medication for sorrow.
—Arabic Proverb
Silence, beautiful voice.
—Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–92) British Poet
Silence makes no mistakes.
—French Proverb
In silence man can most readily preserve his integrity.
—Meister Eckhart (c.1260–1327) German Christian Mystic
Silence makes irritation grow.
—Japanese Proverb
Nothing is so good for an ignorant man as silence; and if he was sensible of this he would not be ignorant.
—Sa’Di (Musharrif Od-Din Muslih Od-Din) (c.1213–91) Persian Poet
Silence is the perfectest herald of joy. I were but little happy if I could say how much.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
His enemies might have said before that he talked rather too much; but now he has occasional flashes of silence, that make his conversation perfectly delightful.
—Sydney Smith (1771–1845) English Clergyman, Essayist, Wit
Silence is the unbearable repartee.
—G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936) English Journalist, Novelist, Essayist, Poet
A judicious reticence is hard to learn, but it is one of the great lessons of life.
—Earl of Chesterfield (1694–1773) English Statesman, Man of Letters
Silence is golden.
—Common Proverb
Speech is silver, silence is golden.
—Common Proverb
You hesitate to stab me with a word, and know not – silence is the sharper sword.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
Silence at the proper season is wisdom, and better than any speech.
—Plutarch (c.46–c.120 CE) Greek Biographer, Philosopher
He can never speak well, who knows not how to hold his peace.
—Plutarch (c.46–c.120 CE) Greek Biographer, Philosopher
Fellows who have no tongues are often all eyes and ears.
—Thomas Chandler Haliburton (1796–1865) Canadian Author, Humorist, Jurist
The silence that accepts merit as the most natural thing in the world is the highest applause.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
The Pause; that impressive silence, that eloquent silence, that geometrically progressive silence which often achieves a desired effect where no combination of words, however so felicitous, could accomplish it.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.
—Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906–45) German Lutheran Pastor, Theologian
Most of us know how to say nothing; few of us know when.
—Anonymous
Speech is often barren; but silence also does not necessarily brood over a full nest. Your still fowl, blinking at you without remark, may all the while be sitting on one addled nest-egg; and when it takes to cackling, will have nothing to announce but that addled delusion.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (1819–80) English Novelist
The silence, often, of pure innocence, persuades when speaking fails.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Nothing is more useful than silence.
—Menander (c.343–c.291 BCE) Greek Comic Dramatist, Poet
Love and let the world know, hate in silence.
—Egyptian Proverb
Talkers and futile persons are commonly vain and credulous withal, for he that talketh what he knoweth will also talk what he knoweth not; therefore set it down that a habit of secrecy is both politic and moral.
—Francis Bacon (1561–1626) English Philosopher
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