--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Rules and Things Number 63: Never, Ever…" description: "\"Rules and Things Number 63: Never, Ever Say Something Bad About Someone You Don't Know--Especially When You're Around a Bunch of Strangers. You Never C..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/536/christopher-paul-curtis-16040_bigs_rules-and-things-number-63-never-ever-sa_2357165.jpg" --- # Rules and Things Number 63: Never, Ever Say Something Bad… ![“Rules and Things Number 63: Never, Ever Say Something Bad About Someone You Don't Know--Especially When You're Around a Bunch of Strangers. You Never Can Tell Who Might Be Kin to That Person or Who Might Be a Lip-Flapping, Big-Mouth Spy.” quote by Christopher Paul Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/536/christopher-paul-curtis-16040_bigs_rules-and-things-number-63-never-ever-sa_2357165.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/536/christopher-paul-curtis-16040_bigs_rules-and-things-number-63-never-ever-sa_2357165.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/536/christopher-paul-curtis-16040_bigs_rules-and-things-number-63-never-ever-sa_2357165.jpg) > “Rules and Things Number 63: Never, Ever Say Something Bad About Someone You Don't Know--Especially When You're Around a Bunch of Strangers. You Never Can Tell Who Might Be Kin to That Person or Who Might Be a Lip-Flapping, Big-Mouth Spy.” [Christopher Paul Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-paul-curtis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Avoid judging unknown people, especially among strangers, because hidden connections may exist. **In simple terms:** Don’t speak badly about strangers. Key Takeaway Think before you speak about others. Themes respect judgment empathy Mood cautious thoughtful Type advice ethical When to use this quote - workplace - social gatherings - online forums - family events Key Concepts social dynamics reputation unknown relationships Questions to Reflect On - How might your words affect unseen connections? - Can you practice restraint in gossip? A Different Perspective Hard to know true relationships; risk of misinterpretation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Bunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bunch/) [Flapping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flapping/) [Kin Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kin-person-5760106/) [Lips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lips/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Mouth Spy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mouth-spy-5760105/) [Mouths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mouths/) [Numbers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/numbers/) [Person Lip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person-lip-5760108/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Spy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spy/) [Stranger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stranger/) [Strangers Tell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strangers-tell-2055318/) [Tell Kin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tell-kin-5760107/) ## Related quotes > [Polite strangers often tell soothing lies about our physical appearance that prevent many of us from facing, discussing and solving our real problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/polite-strangers-often-tell-soothing-lies-about-our-physical/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [The next time you face a room full of strangers . . . you might tell yourself that some of them are just friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/the-next-time-you-face-a-room-full-of-strangers-you-might-tell/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [I used to just go up to strangers and tell them really elaborate stories about who I was and where I was from and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inbar-lavi/i-used-to-just-go-up-to-strangers-and-tell-them-really-elaborate/) [Inbar Lavi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inbar-lavi/) > [“ All Ways listen to strangers; They may tell you when a spider is on your shoulder." donnie harold harris”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-harold-harris/all-ways-listen-to-strangers-they-may-tell-you-when-a-spider-is-on/) [donnie harold harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-harold-harris/) > [Self-improvement books, friends, and polite strangers often tell soothing lies about our physical appearance that prevent many of us from facing, discussing, and solving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/self-improvement-books-friends-and-polite-strangers-often-tell/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [“Like I could take a nap at 4:15 p.m. and then I'll wake up twenty minutes later and have absolutely no clue where I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-showalter/like-i-could-take-a-nap-at-4-15-p-m-and-then-i-ll-wake-up-twenty/) [Michael Showalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-showalter/) > [“The unhinged jaw of a nepatrox mouth—with the wide flaps to either side flapping away—greeted him through the window. 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So, turning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-was-awakened-at-midnight-by-some-heavy-low-flying-bird-probably-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Fractal litigation, whereby the flapping of a butterfly’s wings on one side of the world resulted in a massive compensation claim on the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-aylett/fractal-litigation-whereby-the-flapping-of-a-butterfly-s-wings-on-one/) [Steve Aylett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-aylett/) > [Here in this ocean, in the midst of all this water, with the red flags on those distant buoys flapping in the sea breeze,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banana-yoshimoto/here-in-this-ocean-in-the-midst-of-all-this-water-with-the-red-flags/) [Banana Yoshimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banana-yoshimoto/) > [ From the time of Dante \[Alighieri\], when you have the Ptolemaic universe, you had God on the outside like a hypersphere, and then in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-laffoley/from-the-time-of-dante-alighieri-when-you-have-the-ptolemaic-universe/) [Paul Laffoley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-laffoley/) > [It's awful undermining to the intellect, German is; you want to take it in small doses, or first you know your brains all run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/it-s-awful-undermining-to-the-intellect-german-is-you-want-to-take-it/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [But the owls themselves are not hard to find, silent and on the wing, with their ear tufts flat against their heads as they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-oliver/but-the-owls-themselves-are-not-hard-to-find-silent-and-on-the-wing/) [Mary Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-oliver/) > [Happiness is excitement that has found a settling down place, but there is always a little corner that keeps flapping around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/happiness-is-excitement-that-has-found-a-settling-down-place-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Christopher Paul Curtis > [There comes a time when you're losing a fight that it just doesn't make sense to keep on fighting. It's not that you're being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-paul-curtis/there-comes-a-time-when-you-re-losing-a-fight-that-it-just-doesn-t/) [Christopher Paul Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-paul-curtis/) > [No sir, I don't know why, but my eyes don't cry no more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-paul-curtis/no-sir-i-don-t-know-why-but-my-eyes-don-t-cry-no-more/) [Christopher Paul Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-paul-curtis/) > [“As soon as I got into the library I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. 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Who would want a fish for a pet when they could have a turtle?!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-paul-curtis/wow-who-would-want-a-fish-for-a-pet-when-they-could-have-a-turtle/) [Christopher Paul Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-paul-curtis/) > [Things aren't ever what they seem to be when you first look at them. What's important is that you keep your mind wide open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-paul-curtis/things-aren-t-ever-what-they-seem-to-be-when-you-first-look-at-them/) [Christopher Paul Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-paul-curtis/) > [I do think it is important to look at the writing as a job though and to commit to it like you'd have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-paul-curtis/i-do-think-it-is-important-to-look-at-the-writing-as-a-job-though-and/) [Christopher Paul Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-paul-curtis/) > [Just like when there's a time that a smart person knows enough is enough, there's a time when you know you've got to fight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-paul-curtis/just-like-when-there-s-a-time-that-a-smart-person-knows-enough-is/) [Christopher Paul Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-paul-curtis/) > [“You can tell you're reading a really good book when you forget all about everything else and know you'll die if you get to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-paul-curtis/you-can-tell-you-re-reading-a-really-good-book-when-you-forget-all/) [Christopher Paul Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-paul-curtis/) > [Work at your craft, write daily, and follow your dreams because dreams do come true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-paul-curtis/work-at-your-craft-write-daily-and-follow-your-dreams-because-dreams/) [Christopher Paul Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-paul-curtis/) > [I try to make the writing as regular and regimented as possible. I usually get up at around 5 a.m. and read what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-paul-curtis/i-try-to-make-the-writing-as-regular-and-regimented-as-possible-i/) [Christopher Paul Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-paul-curtis/) > [“Once Zoopy started woofing you never knew when he'd stop. Agent One screamed, “It's alive! I thought it was a car!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-paul-curtis/once-zoopy-started-woofing-you-never-knew-when-he-d-stop-agent-one/) [Christopher Paul Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-paul-curtis/) > [Byron says he won't go there. He give Kenny and Joey a story about "Wool Pooh," the supposed evil twin of Winnie-the-Pooh. They believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-paul-curtis/byron-says-he-won-t-go-there-he-give-kenny-and-joey-a-story-about/) [Christopher Paul Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-paul-curtis/) [Explore all 41 Christopher Paul Curtis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-paul-curtis/) ## More Bigs quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. 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The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [I got in trouble my whole life for having a big mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/i-got-in-trouble-my-whole-life-for-having-a-big-mouth/) [Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/) [Browse all 15,539 Bigs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Rules and Things Number 63: Never, Ever Say Something Bad About Someone You Don't Know--Especially When You're Around a Bunch of Strangers. 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