“Silence is not always tact and it is tact that is golden, not silence.”
Silence and Tact
The Note-Books of Samuel Butler (1912), Part XIV - Higgledy-Piggledy
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Samuel Butler 232
novelist 1835–1902Related quotes
“Silence is not only golden; it is seldom misquoted.”
Independent on Sunday obituary http://web.archive.org/web/20100522031727/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/bob-monkhouse-jokewriter-to-the-stars-and-the-longreigning-king-of-primetime-comedy-dies-at-75-578058.html

Bk. III, ch. 3.
1830s, Sartor Resartus (1833–1834)
Song Silence is Golden http://www.lyricsdownload.com/tremeloes-silence-is-golden-lyrics.html

“Some say silence is golden, I choose noise.”
[Blake Lewis' profile, http://myspace.com/blakelewis, 2007-06-04, MySpace]
["What Are You Doing This Weekend?: Bshorty Farewell Party with KJ Sawka + Ra Scion + Joe Doria", http://www.seattleweekly.com/music/blogs/reverb/what_are_you_doing_this_weekend/, 2007-06-04, January 26, 2007, Seattle Weekly, Aja Pecknold]
On music

“Silence isn't golden, it's deadly. It's a vacuum that fills up with ghosts.”
Source: Shadowfever

“Silence is golden when you can't think of a good answer.”

“The deepest feeling always shows itself in silence;
not in silence, but restraint.”
"Silence"
The Poems of Marianne Moore (2003)

“Silence is most powerful. Speech is always less powerful than silence.”
Abide as the Self