--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The calmed say that what is well-spoken…" description: "\"The calmed say that what is well-spoken is best; second, that one should say what is right, not unrighteous; third, what's pleasing, not displeasing; f..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66d/gautama-buddha-163_buddhist_the-calmed-say-that-what-is-well-spoken_522342.jpg" --- # The calmed say that what is well-spoken is best; second… ![“The calmed say that what is well-spoken is best; second, that one should say what is right, not unrighteous; third, what's pleasing, not displeasing; fourth, what is true, not false.” quote by Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66d/gautama-buddha-163_buddhist_the-calmed-say-that-what-is-well-spoken_522342.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66d/gautama-buddha-163_buddhist_the-calmed-say-that-what-is-well-spoken_522342.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66d/gautama-buddha-163_buddhist_the-calmed-say-that-what-is-well-spoken_522342.jpg) > “The calmed say that what is well-spoken is best; second, that one should say what is right, not unrighteous; third, what's pleasing, not displeasing; fourth, what is true, not false.” [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Speak wisely, truthfully, pleasantly, and rightly; avoid falsehood, harshness, and injustice. **In simple terms:** Speak truth and kindness. Key Takeaway Choose words that reflect truth and kindness. Themes ethics communication wisdom Mood calm reflective Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - conflict resolution - teaching - leadership - personal growth Key Concepts Buddhism right speech moral conduct Questions to Reflect On - How can you practice right speech in heated moments? - What habits help you choose truth over comfort? A Different Perspective May be difficult when emotions run high. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Buddhist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhist/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) ## Related quotes > [When a thoughtless or unkind word is spoken, best tune out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/when-a-thoughtless-or-unkind-word-is-spoken-best-tune-out/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [“She could have lived every minute she'd had with him better. She should have always spoken the best words she could to him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-rossi/she-could-have-lived-every-minute-she-d-had-with-him-better-she/) [Veronica Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-rossi/) > [“It only takes a second to say i love you and a life time to prove it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-grace/it-only-takes-a-second-to-say-i-love-you-and-a-life-time-to-prove-it/) Jason Grace > [These two rules make the best system: first, have something to say; second, say it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathanael-emmons/these-two-rules-make-the-best-system-first-have-something-to-say/) [Nathanael Emmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathanael-emmons/) > [On speaking: first, have something to say; second, say it; third, stop when you have said it; and finally give it an accurate title.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shaw-billings/on-speaking-first-have-something-to-say-second-say-it-third-stop-when/) [John Shaw Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shaw-billings/) > [“In all kinds of composition, there are two things necessary: first, to have something to say; second, to say it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-willis-westlake/in-all-kinds-of-composition-there-are-two-things-necessary-first-to/) James Willis Westlake > [“my father found me immediately. He calmed me down and told me everything was fine, only we’d better not sing that song anymore.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/my-father-found-me-immediately-he-calmed-me-down-and-told-me/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [It's okay not to know everything; that would have calmed me down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sutton-foster/it-s-okay-not-to-know-everything-that-would-have-calmed-me-down/) [Sutton Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sutton-foster/) > [“It's all right," she said in a voice which would have calmed the Big Bang down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/it-s-all-right-she-said-in-a-voice-which-would-have-calmed-the-big/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [Again and again the Church of Christ has been all but engulfed, as men might have deemed, in the billows; again and again the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-parry-liddon/again-and-again-the-church-of-christ-has-been-all-but-engulfed-as-men/) [Henry Parry Liddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-parry-liddon/) > [“the grief that has been conquered by reason is calmed for ever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca/the-grief-that-has-been-conquered-by-reason-is-calmed-for-ever/) [Seneca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca/) > [I love my son, but my daughter has calmed me down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricardo-antonio-chavira/i-love-my-son-but-my-daughter-has-calmed-me-down/) [Ricardo Antonio Chavira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricardo-antonio-chavira/) > [“The library at home when she was child had been her refuge. She gravitated to it. When she was anxious, just taking a book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-j-rose/the-library-at-home-when-she-was-child-had-been-her-refuge-she/) [M.J. Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-j-rose/) > [I've calmed down, certainly, from the days of being 18, but I'm still having a good time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-slater/i-ve-calmed-down-certainly-from-the-days-of-being-18-but-i-m-still/) [Christian Slater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-slater/) > [“sometimes you cant understand why things happen the way they do.. unwillingly were forced to ride the waves.. and thats hard for us humans,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james-peter-o-brien/sometimes-you-cant-understand-why-things-happen-the-way-they-do/) William James Peter O'Brien ## More by Gautama Buddha > [Before you've seen it, and when you first see it, it is the greatest thing; afterwards, it is ordinary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/before-you-ve-seen-it-and-when-you-first-see-it-it-is-the-greatest/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [One of his students asked Buddha, "Are you the Messiah?" "No," answered Buddha. "Then are you a healer?" "No," Buddha replied. "Then are you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/one-of-his-students-asked-buddha-are-you-the-messiah-no-answered/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [Give thanks for what had been given to you, However little. Be pure, never falter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/give-thanks-for-what-had-been-given-to-you-however-little-be-pure/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [For fear of causing terror to living beings, Mahamati, let the Bodhisattva who is disciplining himself to attain compassion, refrain from eating flesh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/for-fear-of-causing-terror-to-living-beings-mahamati-let-the/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [Be lamps unto yourselves. Be refuges unto yourselves. Take yourself no external refuge. Hold fast to the truth as a lamp. Hold fast to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/be-lamps-unto-yourselves-be-refuges-unto-yourselves-take-yourself-no/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [Speak only the speech that neither torments self nor does harm to others. That speech is truly well spoken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/speak-only-the-speech-that-neither-torments-self-nor-does-harm-to/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [Pain is the outcome of sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/pain-is-the-outcome-of-sin/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [It is because I perceive the danger in the practice of mystic wonders, that I loath, abhor, and am ashamed thereof.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/it-is-because-i-perceive-the-danger-in-the-practice-of-mystic-wonders/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [So too, monks, I saw the ancient path, the ancient road traveled by the Perfectly Enlightened Ones of the past. And what is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/so-too-monks-i-saw-the-ancient-path-the-ancient-road-traveled-by-the/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [If one is the master of oneself, one is the resort one can depend on; therefore, one should control oneself of all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/if-one-is-the-master-of-oneself-one-is-the-resort-one-can-depend-on/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [Watch the thought and its ways with care, and let it spring from love born out of concern for all beings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/watch-the-thought-and-its-ways-with-care-and-let-it-spring-from-love/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [One is not low because of birth nor does birth make one holy. Deeds alone make one low, deeds alone make one holy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/one-is-not-low-because-of-birth-nor-does-birth-make-one-holy-deeds/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [He who causes suffering shall suffer. There is no escape.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/he-who-causes-suffering-shall-suffer-there-is-no-escape/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [If a person does not harm any living being...and does not kill or cause others to kill - that person is a true spiritual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/if-a-person-does-not-harm-any-living-being-and-does-not-kill-or-cause/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [The fool says, "These are my sons, this is my land, this is my money." In reality, the fool does not own himself, much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/the-fool-says-these-are-my-sons-this-is-my-land-this-is-my-money-in/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) [Explore all 1,043 Gautama Buddha quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) ## More Buddhist quotes > [One of the things I regret about not putting in that book or I think it's there but I didn't really elaborate on it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-warner/one-of-the-things-i-regret-about-not-putting-in-that-book-or-i-think/) [Brad Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-warner/) > [One of his students asked Buddha, "Are you the Messiah?" "No," answered Buddha. "Then are you a healer?" "No," Buddha replied. "Then are you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/one-of-his-students-asked-buddha-are-you-the-messiah-no-answered/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [For fear of causing terror to living beings, Mahamati, let the Bodhisattva who is disciplining himself to attain compassion, refrain from eating flesh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/for-fear-of-causing-terror-to-living-beings-mahamati-let-the/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [Be lamps unto yourselves. Be refuges unto yourselves. Take yourself no external refuge. Hold fast to the truth as a lamp. Hold fast to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/be-lamps-unto-yourselves-be-refuges-unto-yourselves-take-yourself-no/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [Humility simply means that you do a great job at everything and it isn't really a big deal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/humility-simply-means-that-you-do-a-great-job-at-everything-and-it/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Speak only the speech that neither torments self nor does harm to others. That speech is truly well spoken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/speak-only-the-speech-that-neither-torments-self-nor-does-harm-to/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [I don't look at anything. Every person whether he is Hindu, Muslim or Buddhist, he is my brother, my sister. I think we all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/i-don-t-look-at-anything-every-person-whether-he-is-hindu-muslim-or/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [My family is Jewish, Buddhist, Baptist and Catholic. I don't believe in man-made religions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whoopi-goldberg/my-family-is-jewish-buddhist-baptist-and-catholic-i-don-t-believe-in/) [Whoopi Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whoopi-goldberg/) > [I'm working at trying to be a Christian, and that's serious business. It's like trying to be a good Jew, a good Muslim, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-m-working-at-trying-to-be-a-christian-and-that-s-serious-business/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Buddhist words such as compassion and emptiness don't mean much until we start cultivating our innate ability simply to be there with pain with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/buddhist-words-such-as-compassion-and-emptiness-don-t-mean-much-until/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [“Even my Buddhist friends have been feeling despair and when they go bad, you know the end is nigh.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/even-my-buddhist-friends-have-been-feeling-despair-and-when-they-go/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [He who causes suffering shall suffer. There is no escape.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/he-who-causes-suffering-shall-suffer-there-is-no-escape/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [“When I think about what it would take to achieve freedom from all psychological stuff, the response that comes is this: life is about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-m-ingram/when-i-think-about-what-it-would-take-to-achieve-freedom-from-all/) [Daniel M. Ingram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-m-ingram/) > [If my happiness at this moment consists largely in reviewing happy memories and expectations, I am but dimly aware of this present. I shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/if-my-happiness-at-this-moment-consists-largely-in-reviewing-happy/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [The Buddha gave his first talks, and three or four ascetics became his first disciples. They recognized his enlightenment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-buddha-gave-his-first-talks-and-three-or-four-ascetics-became-his/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) [Browse all 1,479 Buddhist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhist/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The calmed say that what is well-spoken is best; second, that one should say what is right, not unrighteous; third, what's pleasing, not displeasing; fourth, what is true, not false.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gautama Buddha" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/the-calmed-say-that-what-is-well-spoken-is-best-second-that-one/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Buddhist" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/the-calmed-say-that-what-is-well-spoken-is-best-second-that-one/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66d/gautama-buddha-163_buddhist_the-calmed-say-that-what-is-well-spoken_522342.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66d/gautama-buddha-163_buddhist_the-calmed-say-that-what-is-well-spoken_522342.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66d/gautama-buddha-163_buddhist_the-calmed-say-that-what-is-well-spoken_522342.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The calmed say that what is well-spoken is best; second, that one should say what is right, not unrighteous…” — Gautama Buddha", "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": "Gautama Buddha", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The calmed say that what is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/the-calmed-say-that-what-is-well-spoken-is-best-second-that-one/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/the-calmed-say-that-what-is-well-spoken-is-best-second-that-one/#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 } } ] } ```