“Either be silent or say something better than silence.”
Maxim 960
Sentences, The Moral Sayings of Publius Syrus, a Roman Slave
36
Pythagorean Ethical Sentences
“Either be silent or say something better than silence.”
Maxim 960
Sentences, The Moral Sayings of Publius Syrus, a Roman Slave
“It is better wither to be silent, or to say things of more value than silence.”
As quoted in A Dictionary of Thoughts: Being a Cyclopedia of Laconic Quotations from the Best Authors of the World, both Ancient and Modern (1908) by Tyron Edwards, p. 525
Context: It is better wither to be silent, or to say things of more value than silence. Sooner throw a pearl at hazard than an idle or useless word; and do not say a little in many words, but a great deal in a few.
“If what one has to say is not better than silence, then one should keep silent.”
“Let thy speech be better than silence, or be silent.”
Frag. 6, as quoted in Handy-book of Literary Curiosities (1892) by William Shepard Walsh, p. 1009.
“Be silent or let thy words be worth more than silence.”
“Silence is better than unmeaning words.”
As quoted in Encyclopaedia Americana (1832) Vol. X, p. 445 edited by Francis Lieber, E. Wigglesworth, and Thomas Gamaliel Bradford
“Go to where the silence is and say something.”
“My father said that a silent person is trying to hide something.”
Source: Raven's Shadow
“… but I guess it's better for people to shut up rather than rather than say something nasty.”
ONE NIGHT @ THE CALL CENTER Chapter 1 page 22
“When you have something to say, silence is a lie.”