--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is better to keep your mouth closed…" description: "\"“It is better to keep your mouth closed and appear a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.”\" — George Eliot" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c78/george-eliot-84_doubt_it-is-better-to-keep-your-mouth-closed-a_1435722.png" --- # It is better to keep your mouth closed and appear a fool… ![“It is better to keep your mouth closed and appear a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.” quote by George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c78/george-eliot-84_doubt_it-is-better-to-keep-your-mouth-closed-a_1435722.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c78/george-eliot-84_doubt_it-is-better-to-keep-your-mouth-closed-a_1435722.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c78/george-eliot-84_doubt_it-is-better-to-keep-your-mouth-closed-a_1435722.png) > ““It is better to keep your mouth closed and appear a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.”” [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Keeping silent can protect you from appearing foolish, while speaking may expose your ignorance. **In simple terms:** Silence can hide ignorance; speech can reveal it. Key Takeaway Think before you speak. Themes communication humility wisdom Mood thoughtful cautious Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - work meetings - social media - public speaking - personal relationships Key Concepts self‑presentation social perception Questions to Reflect On - When is speaking more valuable than silence? - How do you balance honesty and humility? A Different Perspective Silence may also be misinterpreted as indifference. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool/) [Remove All Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remove-all-doubt/) ## Related quotes > [“It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristy-k-james/it-is-better-to-keep-your-mouth-closed-and-let-people-think-you-are-a-2/) Kristy K. James > [Have you ever heard the phrase, it is better to keep your mouth closed and have people wonder if you are stupid than open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-flynn/have-you-ever-heard-the-phrase-it-is-better-to-keep-your-mouth-closed/) [Vince Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-flynn/) > [It's better to keep your mouth closed and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-better-to-keep-your-mouth-closed-and-be-thought-a-fool-than-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/it-is-better-to-keep-your-mouth-closed-and-let-people-think-you-are-a/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asking-alexander/it-is-better-to-remain-silent-and-be-thought-a-fool-than-to-speak-out/) Asking Alexander > [Better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/better-to-keep-your-mouth-shut-and-appear-stupid-than-to-open-it-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It's better to remain silent and give the impression of being foolish then to speak and remove all doubt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rami-belson/it-s-better-to-remain-silent-and-give-the-impression-of-being-foolish/) Rami Belson > [“It is better for some one to think you're a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/it-is-better-for-some-one-to-think-you-re-a-fool-than-to-open-your/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [“It is better to let people think you are a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-l-maier/it-is-better-to-let-people-think-you-are-a-fool-than-to-open-your/) Paul L. Maier > [ItS bEtTeR tO rEmAiN SiLeNt At ThE TiMe oF BeInG tHoUgHt A FOoL , tHeN tO TalK aNd ReMoVe AlL DoUbT oF It](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/its-better-to-remain-silent-at-the-time-of-being-thought-a-fool-then/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's better to stay silent and look a fool, rather than speak and remove all doubt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/it-s-better-to-stay-silent-and-look-a-fool-rather-than-speak-and/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [BETTER TO REMAIN SILENT AND BE THOUGHT A FOOL, THAN SPEAK OUT AND REMOVE ALL DOUBT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/better-to-remain-silent-and-be-thought-a-fool-than-speak-out-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Better to allow people to think you’re a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jude-deveraux/better-to-allow-people-to-think-you-re-a-fool-than-to-open-your-mouth/) [Jude Deveraux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jude-deveraux/) > [Better to be thought stupid than to speak and remove all doubt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/better-to-be-thought-stupid-than-to-speak-and-remove-all-doubt/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [Better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idk/better-to-keep-your-mouth-shut-and-be-thought-a-fool-than-to-open-it/) IDK ## More by George Eliot > [There are various orders of beauty, causing men to make fools of themselves in various styles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/there-are-various-orders-of-beauty-causing-men-to-make-fools-of/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [But the effect of her being on those around her was incalculably diffusive: for the growing good of the world is partly dependent on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/but-the-effect-of-her-being-on-those-around-her-was-incalculably/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [Scepticismcan never be thoroughly applied, else life would come to a standstill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/scepticismcan-never-be-thoroughly-applied-else-life-would-come-to-a/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [Under every guilty secret there is hidden a brood of guilty wishes, whose unwholesome infecting life is cherished by the darkness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/under-every-guilty-secret-there-is-hidden-a-brood-of-guilty-wishes/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [The most powerful movement of feeling with a liturgy is the prayer which seeks for nothing special, but is a yearning to escape from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/the-most-powerful-movement-of-feeling-with-a-liturgy-is-the-prayer/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [ “\[W\]e must learn to accommodate ourselves to the discovery that some of those cunningly-fashioned instruments called human souls have only a very limited range… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/w-e-must-learn-to-accommodate-ourselves-to-the-discovery-that-some-of/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [“Mr. Casaubon had never had a strong bodily frame, and his soul was sensitive without being enthusiastic: it was too languid to thrill out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/mr-casaubon-had-never-had-a-strong-bodily-frame-and-his-soul-was/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [“... she took her husband's jokes and joviality as patiently as everything else, considering that "men would be so", and viewing the stronger sex…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/she-took-her-husband-s-jokes-and-joviality-as-patiently-as-everything/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [What is opportunity to the man who can't use it? An unfecundated egg, which the waves of time wash away into nonentity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/what-is-opportunity-to-the-man-who-can-t-use-it-an-unfecundated-egg/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [And, of course men know best about everything, except what women know better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/and-of-course-men-know-best-about-everything-except-what-women-know/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [“But let the wise be warned against too great readiness at explanation: it multiplies the sources of mistake, lengthening the sum for reckoners sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/but-let-the-wise-be-warned-against-too-great-readiness-at-explanation/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [“But any one watching keenly the stealthy convergence of human lots, sees a slow preparation of effects from one life on another, which tells…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/but-any-one-watching-keenly-the-stealthy-convergence-of-human-lots/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [Perspective, as its inventor remarked, is a beautiful thing. What horrors of damp huts, where human beings languish, may not become picturesque through aerial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/perspective-as-its-inventor-remarked-is-a-beautiful-thing-what/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [“Sane people did what their neighbours did, so that if any lunatics were at large, one might know and avoid them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/sane-people-did-what-their-neighbours-did-so-that-if-any-lunatics/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [even those who call themselves 'intimate' know very little about each other - hardly ever know just how a sorrow is felt, and hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/even-those-who-call-themselves-intimate-know-very-little-about-each/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) [Explore all 1,492 George Eliot quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) ## More Doubt quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) Ted Martinez > [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [I don't doubt that straight white men have identity issues and identity complexes and struggle with defining themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/i-don-t-doubt-that-straight-white-men-have-identity-issues-and/) [Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) > [“Where there is doubt (shanka), there is misery. The moment one begins to doubt the knowledge that, 'I am Chandubhai,' misery arises. Once one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/where-there-is-doubt-shanka-there-is-misery-the-moment-one-begins-to/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [We know accurately only when we know little, with knowledge doubt increases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/we-know-accurately-only-when-we-know-little-with-knowledge-doubt/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [There is no doubt in my mind and I know in my time, there will be a Canadian basketball player playing for Toronto Raptors, 100%](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masai-ujiri/there-is-no-doubt-in-my-mind-and-i-know-in-my-time-there-will-be-a/) [Masai Ujiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masai-ujiri/) > [How could you feel worthless when God has honoured you by creating you and choosing you to be with Him, in this life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/how-could-you-feel-worthless-when-god-has-honoured-you-by-creating/) [Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/) > [“Let no one hope to find in contemplation an escape from conflict, from anguish or from doubt. On the contrary, the deep, inexpressible certitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/let-no-one-hope-to-find-in-contemplation-an-escape-from-conflict-from/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [“Two powerful, little words I've learned to use when facing challenges, fears, and doubts— so what? ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/two-powerful-little-words-i-ve-learned-to-use-when-facing-challenges/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [For diplomacy to be effective, words must be credible - and no one can now doubt the word of America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/for-diplomacy-to-be-effective-words-must-be-credible-and-no-one-can/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Vision motivates, sustains and dispels doubt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-young/vision-motivates-sustains-and-dispels-doubt/) [Thomas Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-young/) > [One may not doubt that, somehow Good Shall come of Water and of Mud; And sure, the reverent eye must see A purpose in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-brooke/one-may-not-doubt-that-somehow-good-shall-come-of-water-and-of-mud/) [Rupert Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-brooke/) > [Let smiles overshadow sadness. Let faith make you believe. Let confidence wash away doubts. Let love complete your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/let-smiles-overshadow-sadness-let-faith-make-you-believe-let/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [When in doubt, suggest that a subcommittee be appointed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-chapman/when-in-doubt-suggest-that-a-subcommittee-be-appointed/) Harry Chapman > [“Those who contemplate never escape the doubt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henning-mankell/those-who-contemplate-never-escape-the-doubt/) [Henning Mankell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henning-mankell/) [Browse all 9,582 Doubt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It is better to keep your mouth closed and appear a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Eliot" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/it-is-better-to-keep-your-mouth-closed-and-appear-a-fool-than-to-open/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Doubt" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/it-is-better-to-keep-your-mouth-closed-and-appear-a-fool-than-to-open/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c78/george-eliot-84_doubt_it-is-better-to-keep-your-mouth-closed-a_1435722.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c78/george-eliot-84_doubt_it-is-better-to-keep-your-mouth-closed-a_1435722.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c78/george-eliot-84_doubt_it-is-better-to-keep-your-mouth-closed-a_1435722.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is better to keep your mouth closed and appear a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.” — George Eliot", "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": "George Eliot", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It is better to keep your...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/it-is-better-to-keep-your-mouth-closed-and-appear-a-fool-than-to-open/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/it-is-better-to-keep-your-mouth-closed-and-appear-a-fool-than-to-open/#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 } } ] } ```