“They blame those who remain silent, they blame those who speak much, they blame those who speak in moderation. There is none in the world who is not blamed.” — Gautama Buddha
“Shallow rivers are noisy. Deep lakes are silent.” — Derek Sivers
The less you speak, the more you listen (and learn).
Talking is mentally taxing. Be still, less chatty. Keep your mouth shut as often as possible.
Remember: You have two ears and one mouth. Therefore, you should listen twice as much as you speak.
Always speak less than necessary. [@greene48LawsPower2000]
- When you are trying to impress people with words, the more you say, the more common you appear, and the less in control. Even if you are saying something banal, it will seem original if you make it vague, open-ended, and sphinx-like. Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less. The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.
Silence is more eloquent than words. Silence speaks volumes.
- 寧可保持沉默像個傻子，也不要一開口就證明自己是個傻瓜。
- 「懂得內斂，學會矜持」: 大部分的孔雀都不會在人前開屏，人們稱這是孔雀的矜持。
- You always own the option of having no opinion.
- It’s ok not to have no opinions — as long as you avoid the temptation to prove it.
- “Blessed is the man, who having nothing to say, abstains from giving wordy evidence of the fact.” — George Eliot
Speak confidently. Listen carefully.
- Speak in such a way that others love to listen to you. Listen in such a way that others love to speak to you.
THINK before you SPEAK(, and READ before you THINK.)
- “If it is not right, do not do it; if it is not true, do not say it.” — Marcus Aurelius
- “First learn the meaning of what you say, and then speak.” — Epictetus Marcus
Some questions to consider before you speak:
- “Does this need to be said?”
- “Does this need to be said by me?”
- “Does this need to be said by me right now?”