Somewhere we know that without silence, words lose their meaning.

The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.

The silence of two people is deeper than the silence of one.

The tragedy of man is that he doesn't know how to distinguish between day and night. He says things at night that should only be said by day."

Lord, deliver me from the urge to open my mouth when I should shut it. Give me the wisdom to keep silent where silence is wise. Remind me that not everything needs to be said, and that there are very few things that need to be said by me.

One of the issues I kept saying to my students is you have to learn to interrupt. When you raise your hand at a meeting, by the time they get to you, the point is not germane. So the bottom line is active listening. If you are going to interrupt, you look for opportunities. You have to know what you're talking about.

but a good writer knows when to shut up and listen.

Use your ears more than your mouth.

Because words unsaid can change a course as surely as words said.

In human intercourse the tragedy begins, not when there is misunderstanding about words, but when silence is not understood.

Listen more than you talk.

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.