
“By Silence, the discretion of a man is known: and a fool, keeping Silence, seemeth to be wise.”
The Sayings of the Wise (1555)
Source: Thoughts on Machiavelli (1958), p. 30
“By Silence, the discretion of a man is known: and a fool, keeping Silence, seemeth to be wise.”
The Sayings of the Wise (1555)
“A fool is known by his Speech; and a wise man by Silence.”
The Sayings of the Wise (1555)
“Euripides was wont to say, "Silence is an answer to a wise man."”
Of Bashfulness
Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919)
“Therefore the wise man is always happy.”
Atque cum perturbationes animi miseriam, sedationes autem vitam efficiant beatam, duplexque ratio perturbationis sit, quod aegritudo et metus in malis opinatis, in bonorum autem errore laetitia gestiens libidoque versetur, quae omnia cum consilio et ratione pugnent, his tu tam gravibus concitationibus tamque ipsis inter se dissentientibus atque distractis quem vacuum solutum liberum videris, hunc dubitabis beatum dicere? atqui sapiens semper ita adfectus est; semper igitur sapiens beatus est.
Book V, chapter 15, section 43; translated by Andrew P. Peabody
Tusculanae Disputationes – Tusculan Disputations (45 BC)
Context: Now since perturbations of mind create misery, while quietness of mind makes life happy, and since there are two kinds of perturbations, grief and fear having their scope in imagined evils, inordinate joy and desire in mistaken notions of the good, all being repugnant to wise counsel and reason, will you hesitate to call him happy whom you see relieved, released, free from these excitements so oppressive, and so at variance and divided among themselves? Indeed one thus disposed is always happy. Therefore the wise man is always happy.
“Silence is an answer in the eyes of the wise.”
Unidentified Plays, Fragment 977
Variant translation: Silence is true wisdom's best reply. (See Discussion page for sourcing information)
Introductio ad prudentiam: Part II (1727)
“Silence is the wit of fools, and one of the virtues of the wise.”
Le silence est l'esprit des sots
Et l'une des vertus du sage.
Bernard de Bonnard, "Le Silence," http://books.google.com/books?id=9gAvAAAAMAAJ&pg=PR14&dq=%22Et+l%27une+des+vertus+du+sage%22+Bonnard&ei=iyzvR-bFOIa4zASV0PyoBQ#PPA244,M1 L'Almanach des Muses (1776)
Misattributed
“silence makes you wise, among the noisemakers”
Source: Sweetest song I know
“A wise man does not wait to be given, but to always give first.”