--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That's the secret: be interesting. If you…" description: "\"That's the secret: be interesting. If you can't be interesting, shut up. There's nothing wrong with silence.\" — Earl Nightingale" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14a/earl-nightingale-1728_ifs_that-s-the-secret-be-interesting-if-you_2564305.png" --- # That's the secret: be interesting. If you can't be… ![“That's the secret: be interesting. If you can't be interesting, shut up. There's nothing wrong with silence.” quote by Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14a/earl-nightingale-1728_ifs_that-s-the-secret-be-interesting-if-you_2564305.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14a/earl-nightingale-1728_ifs_that-s-the-secret-be-interesting-if-you_2564305.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14a/earl-nightingale-1728_ifs_that-s-the-secret-be-interesting-if-you_2564305.png) > “That's the secret: be interesting. If you can't be interesting, shut up. There's nothing wrong with silence.” [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Being interesting requires substance; silence is preferable to emptiness. **In simple terms:** Speak only when you add value. Key Takeaway Cultivate depth before speaking. Themes communication silence authenticity Mood thoughtful assertive Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - social gatherings - public speaking - online posts Key Concepts self-awareness conversation skills Questions to Reflect On - What makes you interesting? - When is silence most powerful? A Different Perspective Silence can be misinterpreted as disengagement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Silence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silence/) ## Related quotes > [“Do you ever shut up? 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I probably get as many "Shut up, Matildas" as Wil Wheaton gets "Shut up, Wesleys." That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-wilson/i-get-a-lot-of-shut-up-matilda-i-probably-get-as-many-shut-up/) [Mara Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-wilson/) > [Shane talking to Claire - "Hang on - Slow down. I'm not going anywhere. You know that, right? You don't have to put out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-caine/shane-talking-to-claire-hang-on-slow-down-i-m-not-going-anywhere-you/) [Rachel Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-caine/) > [“Bite your tongue. Don't let anyone bite it off.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamerlan-kuzgov/bite-your-tongue-don-t-let-anyone-bite-it-off/) [Tamerlan Kuzgov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamerlan-kuzgov/) > [Oh, shut up. He is not saying that he's too good-looking to be friends with girls. 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Cried the poor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/i-think-i-need-to-ask-an-embarrassing-question-do-you-think-i-could/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) ## More by Earl Nightingale > [It's difficult for people to come to the understanding that only a small minority of the people ever really get the word about life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/it-s-difficult-for-people-to-come-to-the-understanding-that-only-a/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [Open your ears before you open your mouth, it may surprise your eyes!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/open-your-ears-before-you-open-your-mouth-it-may-surprise-your-eyes/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [People don't have great attitudes because of great success, they have great success largely because of great attitudes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/people-don-t-have-great-attitudes-because-of-great-success-they-have/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [Now, success is not the result of making money; making money is the result of success - and success is in direct proportion to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/now-success-is-not-the-result-of-making-money-making-money-is-the/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [The more intensely we feel about an idea or a goal, the more assuredly the idea, buried deep in our subconscious, will direct us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/the-more-intensely-we-feel-about-an-idea-or-a-goal-the-more-assuredly/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [We all walk in the dark and each of us must learn to turn on his or her own light.\[so we can see the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/we-all-walk-in-the-dark-and-each-of-us-must-learn-to-turn-on-his-or/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [We tend to minimize the things we can do, the goals we can accomplish, and for some equally strange reason we think other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/we-tend-to-minimize-the-things-we-can-do-the-goals-we-can-accomplish/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [You can predict a person?s future and divine his bank balance if you know two things: the books he reads, the people he associates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/you-can-predict-a-person-s-future-and-divine-his-bank-balance-if-you/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [The amount of money we receive will always be in direct ratio to the demand for what we do; our ability to do it;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/the-amount-of-money-we-receive-will-always-be-in-direct-ratio-to-the/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [“And the greatest teacher of them all, the carpenter from the plains of Galilee, gave us the Secret time and time again, "As ye…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/and-the-greatest-teacher-of-them-all-the-carpenter-from-the-plains-of/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [Do what experts since the dawn of recorded history have told you you must do: pay the price by becoming the person you want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/do-what-experts-since-the-dawn-of-recorded-history-have-told-you-you/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [A success is anyone who is doing deliberately a pre-determined job, because that's what he decided to do deliberately. 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Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) Browse all 94,303 Ifs quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "That's the secret: be interesting. If you can't be interesting, shut up. 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