David Byrne (1952) Scottish alternative rock musician and promoter of world music
From his film True Stories
“There's all the difference in the world between having something to say, and having to say something.”
Last update Feb. 5, 2026. History
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Do you have more details about the quote "There's all the difference in the world between having something to say, and having to say something." by John Dewey?
John Dewey62
American philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer 1859–1952Related quotes
Robert Frost (1874–1963) American poet
Variant: Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and can't, and the other half who have nothing to say and keep on saying it.
“Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something.”
Plato (-427–-347 BC) Classical Greek philosopher
“Wise men speak when they have something to say, fools speak because they have to say something”
Aristotle (-384–-321 BC) Classical Greek philosopher, student of Plato and founder of Western philosophy
Ai Weiwei (1957) Chinese concept artist
2000-09, Ai Weiwei, Nursing Head Wound, Sharpens Criticism, 2009
“Have something to say; say it; and stop when you’ve done.”
Tryon Edwards (1809–1894) American theologian
Source: A Dictionary of Thoughts, 1891, p. 51.
