Business Quote by Jonathan Swift
“And surely one of the best rules in conversation is, never to say a thing which any of the company can reasonably wish had been left unsaid…”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Spectator, 1711
Good conversation avoids saying things that would make others uncomfortable.
In simple terms: Speak considerately in groups.
Key Takeaway
Think before you speak.
Themes
etiquette
empathy
social harmony
Mood
considerate
serious
Type
advice
philosophical
When to use this quote
- dinner parties
- team meetings
- online forums
Key Concepts
social intelligence
respectful dialogue
Questions to Reflect On
- When should you speak truth?
- How do you balance honesty and tact?
A Different Perspective
Sometimes honesty is needed despite discomfort.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)