Anne Bronte Quotes

To speak ill of others is a dishonest way of praising ourselves; let us be above such transparent egotism. If you can't say good and encouraging things, say nothing. Nothing is often a good thing to do, and always a clever thing to say.

Let no one be willing to speak ill of the absent.

To many men well-fitting doors are not set on their tongues.

Mary's mouth cost her nothing for she never opens it but at others' expense.

Sleep not when others speak, sit not when others stand, speak not when you should hold your peace, walk not when others stop.

No one loves to tell of scandal except to him who loves to hear it. Learn, then, to rebuke and check the detracting tongue by showing that you do not listen to it with pleasure.

When you have nothing important or interesting to say, don't let anyone persuade you to say it.

We have two ears and one tongue so that we would listen more and talk less.

A good word is an easy obligation; but not to speak ill requires only our silence, which costs us nothing.

Before the tongue can speak, it must have lost the power to wound.

In my day you didn't speak until spoken to.

When people say crazy stuff about me or my family, I don't take it seriously.

In the midst of a discourse, speak not.

If you hear that someone is speaking ill of you, instead of trying to defend yourself you should say, he obviously does not know me very well, since there are so many other faults he could have mentioned.

It is a sad thing when men have neither the wit to speak well, nor the judgment to hold their tongues.

Forbear to mention what thou canst not praise.

I once said some mean things about someone, and they were standing right behind me. That experience taught me to never talk bad about anyone.

There comes a place where you need to respect. When people are speaking, you don't comment.

I don't know where, or by whom, Judge Wapner was raised, but my parents taught me, when you don't have something nice to say about someone, say nothing.

You're almost always better off keeping your mouth shut, but don't let that stop you from popping off.

He knows not when to be silent who knows not when to speak.

While thou livest keep a good tongue in thy head.

Silence, maiden; thy tongue outruns thy discretion.

It is a great misfortune neither to have enough wit to talk well nor enough judgment to be silent.

The Triumph of Wit is to make your good Nature subdue your Censure; to be quick in seeing Faults, and slow in exposing them. You are to consider, that the invisible thing called a Good Name, is made up of the Breath of Numbers that speak well of you; so that if by a disobliging Word you silence the meanest, the Gale will be less strong which is to bear up your Esteem.