--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Silence is safer than speech." description: "\"Silence is safer than speech.\" — Epictetus" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a47/epictetus-413_communication_silence-is-safer-than-speech-811379_811379.jpg" --- # Silence is safer than speech. ![“Silence is safer than speech.” quote by Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a47/epictetus-413_communication_silence-is-safer-than-speech-811379_811379.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a47/epictetus-413_communication_silence-is-safer-than-speech-811379_811379.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a47/epictetus-413_communication_silence-is-safer-than-speech-811379_811379.jpg) > “Silence is safer than speech.” [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Remaining silent can protect you from harm, whereas speech may expose you to danger. **In simple terms:** Silence often offers safety over speaking. Key Takeaway Choose silence when speech risks harm. Themes wisdom selfcontrol communication risk Mood reflective cautious Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - conflict situations - public speaking - personal boundaries Key Concepts stoicism prudence selfpreservation Questions to Reflect On - When is speaking more vital than safety? - How do you balance honesty with caution? A Different Perspective Silence may also suppress necessary truth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Safer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/safer/) [Safer Speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/safer-speech-262058/) [Silence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silence/) [Silence Safer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silence-safer-262057/) [Speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speech/) ## Related quotes > [We should be sensitive to the thread of silence from which the tissue of speech is woven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-merleau-ponty/we-should-be-sensitive-to-the-thread-of-silence-from-which-the-tissue/) [Maurice Merleau-Ponty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-merleau-ponty/) > [Few people know how to take a walk. The qualifications are endurance, plain clothes, old shoes, an eye for nature, good humor, vast curiosity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/few-people-know-how-to-take-a-walk-the-qualifications-are-endurance/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Silence is most powerful. Speech is always less powerful than silence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramana-maharshi/silence-is-most-powerful-speech-is-always-less-powerful-than-silence/) [Ramana Maharshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramana-maharshi/) > [As the Swiss inscription says: Sprechen ist silbern, Schweigen ist golden,- "Speech is silvern, Silence is golden;" or, as I might rather express it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-the-swiss-inscription-says-sprechen-ist-silbern-schweigen-ist/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is well, when in difficulties, to say never a word, neither black nor white. Speech is silver but silence is golden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-spark/it-is-well-when-in-difficulties-to-say-never-a-word-neither-black-nor/) [Muriel Spark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-spark/) > [Right speech comes out of silence and right silence comes out of speech.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/right-speech-comes-out-of-silence-and-right-silence-comes-out-of/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [It occurred to me that my speech or my silence, indeed any action of mine, would be a mere futility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/it-occurred-to-me-that-my-speech-or-my-silence-indeed-any-action-of/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [Words are made of silver, but silence is made of gold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portuguese-proverb/words-are-made-of-silver-but-silence-is-made-of-gold/) [Portuguese Proverb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portuguese-proverb/) > [I find myself safer running in a pack of wolves than walking through a city alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolf/i-find-myself-safer-running-in-a-pack-of-wolves-than-walking-through/) [Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolf/) > [I ride my bike almost every day here in New York. 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Don't push anyone or affect anyone's space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-hopkins/i-want-to-say-that-our-shows-are-safer-spaces-shows-don-t-push-anyone/) [Ben Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-hopkins/) > [Rather than risk starting their own businesses, most people seek safer environments, preferring job security to freedom and a steady paycheck to greater wealth.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/rather-than-risk-starting-their-own-businesses-most-people-seek-safer/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [We cannot make ourselves safer by making ourselves less free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-lapierre/we-cannot-make-ourselves-safer-by-making-ourselves-less-free/) [Wayne LaPierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-lapierre/) > [It is so much safer not to feel, not to let the world touch me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/it-is-so-much-safer-not-to-feel-not-to-let-the-world-touch-me/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [America's families will be safer in a world where we're strong, where we're engaged, but where we're respected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edwards/america-s-families-will-be-safer-in-a-world-where-we-re-strong-where/) [John Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edwards/) ## More by Epictetus > [“We are at the mercy of whoever wields authority over the things we either desire or detest. If you would be free, then, do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/we-are-at-the-mercy-of-whoever-wields-authority-over-the-things-we/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Practice yourself, for heaven's sake in little things, and then proceed to greater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/practice-yourself-for-heaven-s-sake-in-little-things-and-then-proceed/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Do not laugh much or often or unrestrainedly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/do-not-laugh-much-or-often-or-unrestrainedly/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [When men are unhappy, they do not imagine they can ever cease to be so; and when some calamity has fallen on them, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/when-men-are-unhappy-they-do-not-imagine-they-can-ever-cease-to-be-so/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [We are not disturbed by what happens to us, but by our thoughts about what happens to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/we-are-not-disturbed-by-what-happens-to-us-but-by-our-thoughts-about/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Don't be prideful with any excellence that is not your own](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/don-t-be-prideful-with-any-excellence-that-is-not-your-own/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [You know yourself what you are worth in your own eyes; and at what price you will sell yourself. For men sell themselves at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/you-know-yourself-what-you-are-worth-in-your-own-eyes-and-at-what/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Crows pick out the eyes of the dead, when the dead have no longer need of them; but flatterers mar the soul of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/crows-pick-out-the-eyes-of-the-dead-when-the-dead-have-no-longer-need/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [As a man, casting off worn out garments taketh new ones, so the dweller in the body, entereth into ones that are new.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/as-a-man-casting-off-worn-out-garments-taketh-new-ones-so-the-dweller/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [If you would improve, submit to be considered wihout sense and foolish with respect to externals. 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If I were a nightingale, I would do the nightingale's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/what-else-can-i-do-a-lame-old-man-but-sing-hymns-to-god-if-i-were-a/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [People are disturbed not by things, but by the view they take of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/people-are-disturbed-not-by-things-but-by-the-view-they-take-of-them-2/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [“Small-minded people blame others. Average people blame themselves. The wise see all blame as foolishness”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/small-minded-people-blame-others-average-people-blame-themselves-the/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [All philosophy lies in two words, sustain and abstain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/all-philosophy-lies-in-two-words-sustain-and-abstain/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) [Explore all 577 Epictetus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) ## More Communication quotes > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. 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Smashing heads does not open minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-tannen/in-dialogue-there-is-opposition-yes-but-no-head-on-collision-smashing/) [Deborah Tannen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-tannen/) > [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I've been in a serious conversation with one of my children, and a fan has come up. 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