--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Say not always what you know, but always…" description: "\"“Say not always what you know, but always know what you say.\" - Claudius”\" — Claudius" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6f/claudius-35359_know_say-not-always-what-you-know-but-always_1682372.png" --- # Say not always what you know, but always know what you… ![“Say not always what you know, but always know what you say." - Claudius” quote by Claudius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6f/claudius-35359_know_say-not-always-what-you-know-but-always_1682372.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6f/claudius-35359_know_say-not-always-what-you-know-but-always_1682372.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6f/claudius-35359_know_say-not-always-what-you-know-but-always_1682372.png) > ““Say not always what you know, but always know what you say." - Claudius”” [Claudius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudius/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Speak carefully, knowing your words, but always be aware of their impact. **In simple terms:** Think before you speak and understand consequences. Key Takeaway Practice mindful communication. Themes communication wisdom responsibility Mood cautious thoughtful Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - public speaking - negotiations - personal relationships Key Concepts rhetoric ethical speech Questions to Reflect On - When should you speak despite risk? - How do you balance honesty and tact? A Different Perspective Overcautiousness can hinder honest expression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [Say not always what you know, but always know what you say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudius/say-not-always-what-you-know-but-always-know-what-you-say/) [Claudius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudius/) > [If you know, say you know. If you don't know, say you don't know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/if-you-know-say-you-know-if-you-don-t-know-say-you-don-t-know/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [ I don't make that decision \[what next book will be\] until I've read enough to know that I've got something different to say and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-don-t-make-that-decision-what-next-book-will-be-until-i-ve-read/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [It is not sufficient to know what one ought to say, but one must also know how to say it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/it-is-not-sufficient-to-know-what-one-ought-to-say-but-one-must-also/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [You know what they say you know what they say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/you-know-what-they-say-you-know-what-they-say/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [To say! To know how to say! To know how to exist via the written voice and the intellectual image! This is all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/to-say-to-know-how-to-say-to-know-how-to-exist-via-the-written-voice/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [I don't know what to say but what I know is to be with you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siti-noor-husna/i-don-t-know-what-to-say-but-what-i-know-is-to-be-with-you/) [Siti Noor Husna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siti-noor-husna/) > [“No." "Why?" "No one needs to know," I say. "To know what?How long you've lasted?" Vick asks. "To know anything about me," I say.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/no-why-no-one-needs-to-know-i-say-to-know-what-how-long-you-ve-lasted/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [You should not say everything you know .. but you must know all what you say..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunshine/you-should-not-say-everything-you-know-but-you-must-know-all-what-you/) [SunShine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunshine/) > [I don't know what else to say. I know I fucked up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goodfellas/i-don-t-know-what-else-to-say-i-know-i-fucked-up/) [Goodfellas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goodfellas/) > [“There's things, times. When, well, you don't know what to say. You know?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/there-s-things-times-when-well-you-don-t-know-what-to-say-you-know/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Most of us know how to say nothing; few of us know when!..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/most-of-us-know-how-to-say-nothing-few-of-us-know-when/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I wish 'I, Claudius' had never ended back in 1976. That was the best TV show the world has ever seen - apart from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregg-wallace/i-wish-i-claudius-had-never-ended-back-in-1976-that-was-the-best-tv/) [Gregg Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregg-wallace/) > [ “After a war of about 40 years, undertaken by the most stupid \[Claudius\], maintained by the most dissolute \[Nero\], and terminated by the most… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/after-a-war-of-about-40-years-undertaken-by-the-most-stupid-claudius/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For although Claudius had been accused of gambling and drunkenness, not only were no worse sins laid to his charge, but he had successfully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-although-claudius-had-been-accused-of-gambling-and-drunkenness/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Claudius > [My words fly up, my thoughts remain below](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudius/my-words-fly-up-my-thoughts-remain-below/) [Claudius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudius/) > [Evidently, quality of wits is more important than quantity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudius/evidently-quality-of-wits-is-more-important-than-quantity/) [Claudius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudius/) > [To do nothing evil is good; to wish nothing evil is better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudius/to-do-nothing-evil-is-good-to-wish-nothing-evil-is-better/) [Claudius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudius/) > [Say not always what you know, but always know what you say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudius/say-not-always-what-you-know-but-always-know-what-you-say/) [Claudius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudius/) > [ \[Jews were\] fomenting a general plague on the whole world. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudius/jews-were-fomenting-a-general-plague-on-the-whole-world/) [Claudius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudius/) > [No one is more miserable than the person who wills everything and can do nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudius/no-one-is-more-miserable-than-the-person-who-wills-everything-and-can/) [Claudius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudius/) > [“He who desires is always poor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudius/he-who-desires-is-always-poor/) [Claudius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudius/) > [Acquaintance lessens fame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudius/acquaintance-lessens-fame/) [Claudius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudius/) > [No one is free who does not lord over himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudius/no-one-is-free-who-does-not-lord-over-himself/) [Claudius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudius/) > [O my offense is rank, it smells to heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudius/o-my-offense-is-rank-it-smells-to-heaven/) [Claudius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudius/) > [He who wants peace must prepare for war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudius/he-who-wants-peace-must-prepare-for-war/) [Claudius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudius/) > [To do no evil is good, to intend none better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudius/to-do-no-evil-is-good-to-intend-none-better/) [Claudius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudius/) [Explore all 13 Claudius quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudius/) ## More Know quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [“To know someone, to be known. That matters more than he'd ever thought it would.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianna-baggott/to-know-someone-to-be-known-that-matters-more-than-he-d-ever-thought/) [Julianna Baggott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianna-baggott/) > [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [If we will not interfere with our thought, but will act entirely, or see how the thing stands in God, we know the particular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-we-will-not-interfere-with-our-thought-but-will-act-entirely-or/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [Don't get too attached to someone you know you can't be together with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/don-t-get-too-attached-to-someone-you-know-you-can-t-be-together-with/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [I know what you're thinking... and you oughtta be ashamed of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-preston/i-know-what-you-re-thinking-and-you-oughtta-be-ashamed-of-yourself/) Robert Preston > [I would have done well as a gypsy child, I think. A circus baby. I coulda played a great street urchin or ragamuffin. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-lyonne/i-would-have-done-well-as-a-gypsy-child-i-think-a-circus-baby-i/) [Natasha Lyonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-lyonne/) > [You will never know just how beautiful you are to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-will-never-know-just-how-beautiful-you-are-to-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I know how hard it is to be a woman, especially a black woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/i-know-how-hard-it-is-to-be-a-woman-especially-a-black-woman/) [Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/) > [I have always been a big meta guy because I think the way journalism is practiced in Washington, and the way everyone sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/i-have-always-been-a-big-meta-guy-because-i-think-the-way-journalism/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [“Take your time to find and understand what you don’t know and in the end, you shall know that it is not all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/take-your-time-to-find-and-understand-what-you-don-t-know-and-in-the/) [Ernest Agyemang Yeboah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) Browse all 22,299 Know quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Say not always what you know, but always know what you say.\" - Claudius”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Claudius" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudius/say-not-always-what-you-know-but-always-know-what-you-say-claudius/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Know" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudius/say-not-always-what-you-know-but-always-know-what-you-say-claudius/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6f/claudius-35359_know_say-not-always-what-you-know-but-always_1682372.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6f/claudius-35359_know_say-not-always-what-you-know-but-always_1682372.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6f/claudius-35359_know_say-not-always-what-you-know-but-always_1682372.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Say not always what you know, but always know what you say.\" - Claudius” — Claudius", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Claudius", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudius/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Say not always what you know,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudius/say-not-always-what-you-know-but-always-know-what-you-say-claudius/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudius/say-not-always-what-you-know-but-always-know-what-you-say-claudius/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```