--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As dear Erasmus said in De Civilitate…" description: "\"“As dear Erasmus said in De Civilitate, “It is safe to admit nothing that might embarrass one if repeated.” Gossip”\" — Judith Martin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d11/judith-martin-1927_gossip_as-dear-erasmus-said-in-de-civilitate-it_448073.png" --- # As dear Erasmus said in De Civilitate, “It is safe to… ![“As dear Erasmus said in De Civilitate, “It is safe to admit nothing that might embarrass one if repeated.” Gossip” quote by Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d11/judith-martin-1927_gossip_as-dear-erasmus-said-in-de-civilitate-it_448073.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d11/judith-martin-1927_gossip_as-dear-erasmus-said-in-de-civilitate-it_448073.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d11/judith-martin-1927_gossip_as-dear-erasmus-said-in-de-civilitate-it_448073.png) > ““As dear Erasmus said in De Civilitate, “It is safe to admit nothing that might embarrass one if repeated.” Gossip”” [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) ## 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 about potentially embarrassing facts prevents gossip and protects reputation. **In simple terms:** Stay quiet about risky info to avoid gossip. Key Takeaway Choose discretion over disclosure. Themes discretion reputation communication Mood cautious reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - personal relationships - workplace - online interactions Key Concepts social dynamics privacy risk management Questions to Reflect On - When might speaking up be more valuable? - How do you balance honesty and privacy? A Different Perspective Silence can also hide truth and hinder accountability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civilitate Safe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilitate-safe-3917015/) [Dear Erasmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dear-erasmus-1814514/) [Erasmus Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/erasmus-said-3917013/) [Gossip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gossip/) [Repeated Gossip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/repeated-gossip-3917014/) [Said Civilitate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-civilitate-3917016/) ## Related quotes > [“As dear Erasmus said, “It is part of the highest civility if, while never erring yourself, you ignore the errors of others.” Besides, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/as-dear-erasmus-said-it-is-part-of-the-highest-civility-if-while/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [“Hello,” said Damen. “I know that you have somehow arranged this,” said Erasmus. He was incapable of hiding what he felt and just seemed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/hello-said-damen-i-know-that-you-have-somehow-arranged-this-said/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) > [from you, my dear Erasmus, let me obtain this request, that just as I bear with your ignorance in these matters, so you in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/from-you-my-dear-erasmus-let-me-obtain-this-request-that-just-as-i/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [“A session of boasting won't attract any real friends.  It will set you up on a pedestal, however, making you a clearer target.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/a-session-of-boasting-won-t-attract-any-real-friends-it-will-set-you/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [I went straight from high school to 'Gossip Girl,' and both were very structured, scheduled environments, so I never had freedom to explore and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-lively/i-went-straight-from-high-school-to-gossip-girl-and-both-were-very/) [Blake Lively](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-lively/) > [My mum, Olwen, was a bright and talkative woman who loved a gossip and a story and was given slightly to malapropisms. And she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jason/my-mum-olwen-was-a-bright-and-talkative-woman-who-loved-a-gossip-and/) [David Jason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jason/) > [Destroy gossip by ignoring it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariane-corbito/destroy-gossip-by-ignoring-it/) [Mariane Corbito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariane-corbito/) > [I don't at all like knowing what people say of me behind my back. It makes me far too conceited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/i-don-t-at-all-like-knowing-what-people-say-of-me-behind-my-back-it/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [There is no friendship that cares about an overheard secret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/there-is-no-friendship-that-cares-about-an-overheard-secret/) [Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/) > [Mechanical instruments, potentially a vehicle of rational human purposes, are scarcely a blessing when they enable the gossip of the village idiot and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/mechanical-instruments-potentially-a-vehicle-of-rational-human/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [Behind every word flows energy. If you use your words to gossip or babble about what you are going to do before you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-choquette/behind-every-word-flows-energy-if-you-use-your-words-to-gossip-or/) [Sonia Choquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-choquette/) > [Because the truth is that gossip is as good as gospel in this town. You can save face but you won't ever save your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/because-the-truth-is-that-gossip-is-as-good-as-gospel-in-this-town/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [“She was the goddess of gossip and rumor, not the goddess of thoroughly fact-checked information. Some people, Principal Zeus included, didn't seem to realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-holub-suzanne-williams/she-was-the-goddess-of-gossip-and-rumor-not-the-goddess-of-thoroughly/) [Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-holub-suzanne-williams/) > [In every province, the chief occupations, in order of importance, are lovemaking, malicious gossip, and talking nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/in-every-province-the-chief-occupations-in-order-of-importance-are/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) ## More by Judith Martin > [Smart people duck when they hear the dread announcement 'I'm going to be perfectly honest with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/smart-people-duck-when-they-hear-the-dread-announcement-i-m-going-to/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [If you put together all the ingredients that naturally attract children - sex, violence, revenge, spectacle and vigorous noise - what you have is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/if-you-put-together-all-the-ingredients-that-naturally-attract/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [The one prediction that never comes true is, 'You'll thank me for telling you this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/the-one-prediction-that-never-comes-true-is-you-ll-thank-me-for/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [Chaperons, even in their days of glory, were almost never able to enforce morality; what they did was to force immorality to be discreet.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/chaperons-even-in-their-days-of-glory-were-almost-never-able-to/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [There are always proper responses, even to rude questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/there-are-always-proper-responses-even-to-rude-questions/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [Perhaps the greatest rudenesses of our time come not from the callousness of strangers, but from the solicitousness of intimates who believe that their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/perhaps-the-greatest-rudenesses-of-our-time-come-not-from-the/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [We are all entitled to our little harmless habits, but we are not entitled to demand approval for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/we-are-all-entitled-to-our-little-harmless-habits-but-we-are-not/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [“Lady” is not used before the lady’s first name unless she is the daughter of a duke, marquess or earl; those who come by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/lady-is-not-used-before-the-lady-s-first-name-unless-she-is-the/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [Greece is a good place for rebirths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/greece-is-a-good-place-for-rebirths/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [Adorable children are considered to be the general property of the human race. Rude children belong to their mothers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/adorable-children-are-considered-to-be-the-general-property-of-the/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [I have always believed that the key to a happy marriage was the ability to say with a straight face, 'Why, I don't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/i-have-always-believed-that-the-key-to-a-happy-marriage-was-the/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [It is, indeed, a trial to maintain the virtue of humility when one can't help being right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/it-is-indeed-a-trial-to-maintain-the-virtue-of-humility-when-one-can/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [Honesty is a virtue, but not the only one. If you're in a courtroom you need the whole truth and nothing but the truth;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/honesty-is-a-virtue-but-not-the-only-one-if-you-re-in-a-courtroom-you/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [Only a person who considers himself too good for you is good enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/only-a-person-who-considers-himself-too-good-for-you-is-good-enough/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [Society cannot exist without etiquette ... It never has, and until our own century, everybody knew that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/society-cannot-exist-without-etiquette-it-never-has-and-until-our-own/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) [Explore all 197 Judith Martin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) ## More Gossip quotes > [In every province, the chief occupations, in order of importance, are lovemaking, malicious gossip, and talking nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/in-every-province-the-chief-occupations-in-order-of-importance-are/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [“She was the goddess of gossip and rumor, not the goddess of thoroughly fact-checked information. Some people, Principal Zeus included, didn't seem to realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-holub-suzanne-williams/she-was-the-goddess-of-gossip-and-rumor-not-the-goddess-of-thoroughly/) [Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-holub-suzanne-williams/) > [Because the truth is that gossip is as good as gospel in this town. You can save face but you won't ever save your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/because-the-truth-is-that-gossip-is-as-good-as-gospel-in-this-town/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [Behind every word flows energy. If you use your words to gossip or babble about what you are going to do before you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-choquette/behind-every-word-flows-energy-if-you-use-your-words-to-gossip-or/) [Sonia Choquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-choquette/) > [Mechanical instruments, potentially a vehicle of rational human purposes, are scarcely a blessing when they enable the gossip of the village idiot and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/mechanical-instruments-potentially-a-vehicle-of-rational-human/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [There is no friendship that cares about an overheard secret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/there-is-no-friendship-that-cares-about-an-overheard-secret/) [Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/) > [My back is not a voicemail. Say it to my face bitch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/superman/my-back-is-not-a-voicemail-say-it-to-my-face-bitch/) [Superman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/superman/) > [I don't at all like knowing what people say of me behind my back. It makes me far too conceited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/i-don-t-at-all-like-knowing-what-people-say-of-me-behind-my-back-it/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Destroy gossip by ignoring it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariane-corbito/destroy-gossip-by-ignoring-it/) [Mariane Corbito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariane-corbito/) > [My mum, Olwen, was a bright and talkative woman who loved a gossip and a story and was given slightly to malapropisms. And she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jason/my-mum-olwen-was-a-bright-and-talkative-woman-who-loved-a-gossip-and/) [David Jason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jason/) > [I went straight from high school to 'Gossip Girl,' and both were very structured, scheduled environments, so I never had freedom to explore and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-lively/i-went-straight-from-high-school-to-gossip-girl-and-both-were-very/) [Blake Lively](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-lively/) > [“A session of boasting won't attract any real friends.  It will set you up on a pedestal, however, making you a clearer target.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/a-session-of-boasting-won-t-attract-any-real-friends-it-will-set-you/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [“Don't give me truth, just give me gossip And skeletons from people's closets, I wanna be normal And millions buy it, I am blinded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-zephaniah/don-t-give-me-truth-just-give-me-gossip-and-skeletons-from-people-s/) [Benjamin Zephaniah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-zephaniah/) > [“Slander does to a soul what cancer does to a cell.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/slander-does-to-a-soul-what-cancer-does-to-a-cell/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [Gossip is just drama, waiting to start.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author-name/gossip-is-just-drama-waiting-to-start/) [Author Name](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/author-name/) [Browse all 1,468 Gossip quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gossip/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“As dear Erasmus said in De Civilitate, “It is safe to admit nothing that might embarrass one if repeated.” Gossip”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Judith Martin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/as-dear-erasmus-said-in-de-civilitate-it-is-safe-to-admit-nothing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Gossip" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/as-dear-erasmus-said-in-de-civilitate-it-is-safe-to-admit-nothing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d11/judith-martin-1927_gossip_as-dear-erasmus-said-in-de-civilitate-it_448073.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d11/judith-martin-1927_gossip_as-dear-erasmus-said-in-de-civilitate-it_448073.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d11/judith-martin-1927_gossip_as-dear-erasmus-said-in-de-civilitate-it_448073.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As dear Erasmus said in De Civilitate, “It is safe to admit nothing that might embarrass one if repeated.”…” — Judith Martin", "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": "Judith Martin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“As dear Erasmus said in De...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/as-dear-erasmus-said-in-de-civilitate-it-is-safe-to-admit-nothing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/as-dear-erasmus-said-in-de-civilitate-it-is-safe-to-admit-nothing/#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 } } ] } ```