“The shocked silence that followed was decidedly baffled. And even, possibly, a little thoughtful, if that was not too much to hope.”
Source: World of the Five Gods series, Paladin of Souls (2003), p. 31
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Lois McMaster Bujold 383
Science Fiction and fantasy author from the USA 1949Related quotes
In Search of the Miraculous (1949)
Context: A man can keep silence in such a ways that no one will even notice it. The whole point is that we say a good deal too much. If we limited ourselves to what is actually necessary, this alone would be keeping the silence. And it is the same with everything else, with food, with pleasures, with sleep; with everything there is a limit to what is necessary. After this "sin" begins. This is something that must be grasped, a "sin" is something which is not necessary.
"The End of My War", originally printed in the [London] Sunday Times (1995)
A User's Guide to the Millennium (1996)

Nobel Prize Lecture (1993)
Context: A dead language is not only one no longer spoken or written, it is unyielding language content to admire its own paralysis. Like statist language, censored and censoring. Ruthless in its policing duties, it has no desire or purpose other than maintaining the free range of its own narcotic narcissism, its own exclusivity and dominance. However moribund, it is not without effect for it actively thwarts the intellect, stalls conscience, suppresses human potential. Unreceptive to interrogation, it cannot form or tolerate new ideas, shape other thoughts, tell another story, fill baffling silences.

Quote in his letter to brother Theo, from Arles, Summer 1888; as quoted in Vincent van Gogh, edited by Alfred H. Barr; Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1935 https://www.moma.org/documents/moma_catalogue_1996_300061887.pdf, (letter 518) p. 22
1880s, 1888

“A little hope, even hopeless hope, never hurt anybody.”
The Winter of Our Discontent (1961), unplaced by chapter

“[W]e are none of us very good at silence. It says too much.”
Telling the Truth (1977)

“"Maybe it has quick save?" [Silence. ] "…No. Of—Of course, that would be asking too much."”
WTF Is…? series, Day One: Garry's Incident (October 1, 2013)