--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you can’t say anything nice about…" description: "\"“If you can’t say anything nice about somebody, step away from the voice enhancement equipment.”\" — Gail Collins" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfc/gail-collins-3567_shut_if-you-can-t-say-anything-nice-about-som_2726185.png" --- # If you can’t say anything nice about somebody, step away… ![“If you can’t say anything nice about somebody, step away from the voice enhancement equipment.” quote by Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfc/gail-collins-3567_shut_if-you-can-t-say-anything-nice-about-som_2726185.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfc/gail-collins-3567_shut_if-you-can-t-say-anything-nice-about-som_2726185.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfc/gail-collins-3567_shut_if-you-can-t-say-anything-nice-about-som_2726185.png) > ““If you can’t say anything nice about somebody, step away from the voice enhancement equipment.”” [Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If you can’t speak kindly, avoid using tech that amplifies harshness. **In simple terms:** Avoid harsh speech with voice tech. Key Takeaway Practice kindness online. Themes media technology ethics communication voice enhancement Mood cautious critical Type opinion ethical When to use this quote - social media - podcasting - public speaking - customer service Key Concepts digital civility speech regulation psychology Questions to Reflect On - When is harsh speech justified? - How to balance honesty and kindness? A Different Perspective May limit free expression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Away Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/away-voice-2347122/) [Nice Somebody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nice-somebody-1087034/) [Say Nice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/say-nice/) [Shut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shut/) [Step Away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/step-away/) [Voice Enhancement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voice-enhancement-2920303/) ## Related quotes > [You live too far away. Your voice rings like a bell anyway. Dont give up your independence, unless it feels so right. Nothing good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-live-too-far-away-your-voice-rings-like-a-bell-anyway-dont-give/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You live too far away. Your voice rings like a bell anyway. Don't give up your independence, unless it feels so right. Nothing good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/you-live-too-far-away-your-voice-rings-like-a-bell-anyway-don-t-give/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [“If you can't say anything nice, don't say nothing at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thumper/if-you-can-t-say-anything-nice-don-t-say-nothing-at-all/) [Thumper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thumper/) > [If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thumper-from-bambi/if-you-can-t-say-something-nice-don-t-say-nothing-at-all/) [Thumper from Bambi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thumper-from-bambi/) > [“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-moffatt/if-you-can-t-say-something-nice-don-t-say-anything-at-all/) [Scarlett Moffatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-moffatt/) > [“I you can't say anything nice, don't say noting at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thumper/i-you-can-t-say-anything-nice-don-t-say-noting-at-all/) [Thumper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thumper/) > [If you cant say nothing nice don't say nothing at all](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-cant-say-nothing-nice-don-t-say-nothing-at-all/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“ask yourself, what would babbi do? waht WWBD? You know, the famous line in the movie Bambi if you can't say anything nice, don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-jaffe/ask-yourself-what-would-babbi-do-waht-wwbd-you-know-the-famous-line/) [Michele Jaffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-jaffe/) > [One thing I learned is that you cant please everyone. No matter how sweet or nice you are, its always somebody mad at you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-thing-i-learned-is-that-you-cant-please-everyone-no-matter-how/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice to somebody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-nice-to-be-important-but-it-s-more-important-to-be-nice-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's nice to be a part of somebody's life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soupy-sales/it-s-nice-to-be-a-part-of-somebody-s-life/) [Soupy Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soupy-sales/) > [Do something nice for somebody. Do something nice for God. Do something nice for the earth - and don't expect anything in return or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/do-something-nice-for-somebody-do-something-nice-for-god-do-something/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Whether it's with a microphone in your face or if it's just a friend having coffee with you. It's really nice for somebody to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-brown/whether-it-s-with-a-microphone-in-your-face-or-if-it-s-just-a-friend/) [Hannah Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-brown/) > [There's nothing that feels better than to do something nice for somebody. I mean nothing feels better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/there-s-nothing-that-feels-better-than-to-do-something-nice-for/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [When you're the person who's kind of in charge of everything a lot of the time, it's sometimes nice to get bossed around. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-hanna/when-you-re-the-person-who-s-kind-of-in-charge-of-everything-a-lot-of/) [Kathleen Hanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-hanna/) ## More by Gail Collins > [The Bushes were certainly part of Texas in their mind, but they didn't have the kind of political flavor that you normally find in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/the-bushes-were-certainly-part-of-texas-in-their-mind-but-they-didn-t/) [Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) > [The work-family divide is the biggest issue for American women. But in some ways it's amazing how adjusted society has become to it. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/the-work-family-divide-is-the-biggest-issue-for-american-women-but-in/) [Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) > [I don't think the folks in the low-tax states really want to go into a fairness discussion. Residents of Connecticut and New York would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/i-don-t-think-the-folks-in-the-low-tax-states-really-want-to-go-into/) [Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) > [I would walk a thousand miles To feel your hugs and see your smiles But then one day we had to part The hardest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/i-would-walk-a-thousand-miles-to-feel-your-hugs-and-see-your-smiles/) [Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) > [“One law prohibited blacks from testifying against whites in court, and carefully defined “negro” as anyone who had one nonwhite grandparent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/one-law-prohibited-blacks-from-testifying-against-whites-in-court-and/) [Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) > [“An estimated 400 women disguised themselves as men to fight in the Civil War. Many were like Amy Clarke, who enlisted so she could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/an-estimated-400-women-disguised-themselves-as-men-to-fight-in-the/) [Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) > [Billy Jean King could not get credit when her husband was in law school and she was winning the Wimbledon, because he had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/billy-jean-king-could-not-get-credit-when-her-husband-was-in-law/) [Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) > [Sarah Palin is treated like a bimbo sometimes, but she has never given the public the respect they deserve. She acts silly and doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/sarah-palin-is-treated-like-a-bimbo-sometimes-but-she-has-never-given/) [Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) > [There's more student debt than credit card debt! Everywhere I go, I run into young people trying to build careers while they keep shelling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/there-s-more-student-debt-than-credit-card-debt-everywhere-i-go-i-run/) [Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) > [Women in America will have to find an answer for the pressures of work and family, but if you really care about women's issues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/women-in-america-will-have-to-find-an-answer-for-the-pressures-of/) [Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) > [The idea that 'if you don't like how things are going, you can just leave' is so ingrained in Texas, the secession movement is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/the-idea-that-if-you-don-t-like-how-things-are-going-you-can-just/) [Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) > [I admired the way McCain worked on campaign finance reform. I admired the way Nancy Pelosi stiffened the Democrats' spine during the health care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/i-admired-the-way-mccain-worked-on-campaign-finance-reform-i-admired/) [Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) > [Some of our national heroines were defined by the fact that they never nested - they were peripatetic crusaders like Susan B. Anthony, Clara…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/some-of-our-national-heroines-were-defined-by-the-fact-that-they/) [Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) > [When the women's movement began, it was a middle-class phenomenon. Certainly, black women had other stuff to think about in the '60s besides a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/when-the-women-s-movement-began-it-was-a-middle-class-phenomenon/) [Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) > [Downplaying their faults is pretty much the point of campaigns. But we do count on them living with the constant terror of public rejection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/downplaying-their-faults-is-pretty-much-the-point-of-campaigns-but-we/) [Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) [Explore all 127 Gail Collins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) ## More Shut quotes > [I haven't shut any doors, and I'm really open to anything, so I think it's just about the material and what is going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-panabaker/i-haven-t-shut-any-doors-and-i-m-really-open-to-anything-so-i-think/) [Danielle Panabaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-panabaker/) > [and just like that, I shut off the switch to my brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becca-fitzpatrick/and-just-like-that-i-shut-off-the-switch-to-my-brain/) [Becca Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becca-fitzpatrick/) > [Easy, Curious George! Get your grubby hands off of that wheel!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cena/easy-curious-george-get-your-grubby-hands-off-of-that-wheel/) [John Cena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cena/) > [Shut up, Jacob. Oops, Im sorry I mean, shut up, most high Alpha. -Leah Clearwater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-twilight-saga-breaking-dawn/shut-up-jacob-oops-im-sorry-i-mean-shut-up-most-high-alpha-leah/) [The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-twilight-saga-breaking-dawn/) > [Sometimes on sets, I shut down, try to focus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-dinklage/sometimes-on-sets-i-shut-down-try-to-focus/) [Peter Dinklage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-dinklage/) > [“Do something about it, or shut up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-grimes/do-something-about-it-or-shut-up/) [Nikki Grimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-grimes/) > [Shut up,' he explained.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ring-lardner/shut-up-he-explained/) [Ring Lardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ring-lardner/) > [Wink and shut their apprehensions up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marston/wink-and-shut-their-apprehensions-up/) [John Marston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marston/) > [I don't shut up I grow up and when I look at you I thrown up.. blah.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-shut-up-i-grow-up-and-when-i-look-at-you-i-thrown-up-blah/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I will do everything I legally can to shut down the toxic Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project atop Mauna Kea.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/i-will-do-everything-i-legally-can-to-shut-down-the-toxic-thirty/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [Shut the fuck up ur so annoying and you think your the shit lmao sit the fuck down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/shut-the-fuck-up-ur-so-annoying-and-you-think-your-the-shit-lmao-sit/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Wow you need to get some sun.” “Shut up. I'm Irish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/wow-you-need-to-get-some-sun-shut-up-i-m-irish/) [Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/) > [X + Y + Z X is work. Y is play. Z is keep your mouth shut.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/x-y-z-x-is-work-y-is-play-z-is-keep-your-mouth-shut/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Here's some shut the fuck up pills, have a pack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-time-steele/here-s-some-shut-the-fuck-up-pills-have-a-pack/) [Chris Time Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-time-steele/) > [I had a dreamthat you would just shut the fuck up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/i-had-a-dreamthat-you-would-just-shut-the-fuck-up/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) [Browse all 750 Shut quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shut/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If you can’t say anything nice about somebody, step away from the voice enhancement equipment.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gail Collins" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/if-you-can-t-say-anything-nice-about-somebody-step-away-from-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Shut" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/if-you-can-t-say-anything-nice-about-somebody-step-away-from-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfc/gail-collins-3567_shut_if-you-can-t-say-anything-nice-about-som_2726185.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfc/gail-collins-3567_shut_if-you-can-t-say-anything-nice-about-som_2726185.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfc/gail-collins-3567_shut_if-you-can-t-say-anything-nice-about-som_2726185.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you can’t say anything nice about somebody, step away from the voice enhancement equipment.” — Gail Collins", "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": "Gail Collins", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“If you can’t say anything nice...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/if-you-can-t-say-anything-nice-about-somebody-step-away-from-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/if-you-can-t-say-anything-nice-about-somebody-step-away-from-the/#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 } } ] } ```