Judicious Silence Quotes

The wise man knows when to keep silent. Only the fool tells all he knows.

Silence, when nothing need be said, is the eloquence of discretion.

The better part of valor is discretion, in the which better part I have saved my life.

Prudent is he who can keep silent that part of truth which may be untimely, and by not speaking it, does not spoil the truth of what he said.

Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said.

Knowing when to keep your mouth shut is invariably more important than opening it at the right time.

If it requires great tact to speak to the purpose, it requires no less to know when to be silent.

It is not every question that deserves an answer.

It is but a small merit to observe silence, but it is a grave fault to speak of matters on which we should be silent.

When Demaratus was asked whether he held his tongue because he was a fool or for want of words, he replied, "A fool cannot hold his tongue.

If you are a wise man, sitting in the council of your lord, direct your thought toward that which is wise. Be silent rather than scatter your words. When you speak, know that which can be brought against you. To speak in the council is an art, and speech is criticized more than any other labor; it is contradiction which puts it to the proof

Miracle workers learn to keep their own counsel. Something that's important to know about spiritual wisdom is that, when spoken at the wrong time, in the wrong place, or to the wrong person, the one who speaks sounds more like a fool than a wise one.

I prefer silent prudence to loquacious folly.

Half of seeming clever is keeping your mouth shut at the right times.