The reason why we have two ears and only one mouth is that we may listen the more and talk the less.
When you have nothing to say, say nothing.
He who does not know how to be silent will not know how to speak.
He lacks the common wisdom to keep still that deadly enemy of a man, his own tongue.
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, 1835-1910
What passes out of one's mouth passes into a hundred ears. It is a great misfortune not to have sense enough to speak well.
Let a fool hold his tongue and he will pass for a sage.
No one can take less pains than to hold his tongue. Hear much, and speak little; for the tongue is the instrument of the greatest good and greatest evil that is done in the world.
Men are born with two eyes, but with one tongue, in order that they should see twice as much as they say.
I think it's interesting to speak when you have something to say.
Well-timed silence hath more eloquence than speech.
There are many men whose tongues might govern multitudes if they could govern their tongues.
The problem is that people think once and talk 10 times. It's better to think 10 times before you talk once.
Silence is the virtue of fools.
Let not your tongue cut your throat
Thou weigh'st thy words before thou givest them breath.
In Maine we have a saying that there's no point in speaking unless you can improve on silence.
