Dogen Zenji Quotes

Think before thou speakest.

You've got to guard against speaking more clearly than you think.

The wise man thinks once before he speaks twice.

Listen much, keep silent when in doubt, and always take heed of the tongue; thou wilt make few mistakes. See much, beware of pitfalls, and always give heed to thy walk; thou wilt have little to rue. If thy words are seldom wrong, thy deeds leave little to rue, pay will follow.

Say not always what you know, but always know what you say.

Before you speak ask yourself if what you are going to say is true, is kind, is necessary, is helpful. If the answer is no, maybe what you are about to say should be left unsaid.

I'm of the opinion that it's okay to be silent, to not speak if you don't have anything to say.

I will begin to speak when I have that to say which had not better be unsaid.

I am very little inclined on any occasion to say anything unless I hope to produce some good by it.

Let your thoughts be abundant, but let your mouth be under restraint.

The problem is that people think once and talk 10 times. It's better to think 10 times before you talk once.

I try my best to really think about things before I react and respond.

A wise person speaks carefully and with truth, for every word tht passes between one's teeth is meant for something.

Silence - Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.

I feel passionately about how I express myself. Language is the greatest motivating force. You can phrase something positively and inspire people to do their best, or negatively and make them feel worried, uncertain, and self-conscious. You can talk at a fast pace and people will get nervous, feel afraid to bring up extraneous thoughts. But those are the very thoughts that might be most important! They might represent that person's best thinking. If you're rushed, you're simply not going to get at that extra level of thinking.

If thou thinkest twice before thou speakest once, thou wilt speak twice the better for it.

I have been cautioned to talk but be careful not to say anything. I do not consider this a difficult task.

I always think before I speak. I'm not the sort who will just say anything that comes to my mind. I'm a very emotional and sensitive person. But I'm also very strong and know my mind well.

The well-ordered mind knows the value, no less than the charm, of reticence. The fruit of the tree of knowledge ... falls ripe from its stem; but those who have eaten with sobriety find no need to discuss the processes of digestion.

Have more than thou showest, Speak less than thou knowest, Lend less than thou owest.

Because there can be consequences for saying the first thing that pops into our heads, it is prudent to exercise tact.

I could get drunk and run around Nashville naked. But I won't because I want to set a good example for my fans. I think they deserve to have a role model.

And be silent for the most part, or else make only the most necessary remarks, and express these in few words. But rarely, and when occasion requires you to talk, talk, indeed, but about no ordinary topics. Do not talk about gladiators, or horseraces, or athletes, or things to eat or drink - topics that arise on all occasions; but above all, do not talk about people, either blaming, or praising, or comparing them.

[...] every time he forces himself to think before acting, it's her voice in his head telling him to slow down. He wants to tell her, but she's always so busy in the medical jet—and you don't just go to somebody and say, "I'm a better person because you're in my head.

Writing is for men who can think and feel, not mindless sensation seekers out of nightclubs and bars. But these are bad times. We are condemned to work with upstarts, clowns who no doubt got their training in a circus and then turned to journalism as the appropriate place to display their tricks.