--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The wise man knows when to keep silent…" description: "\"The wise man knows when to keep silent. Only the fool tells all he knows.\" — Neil Gaiman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd7/neil-gaiman-29_fool_the-wise-man-knows-when-to-keep-silent-o_3128416.jpg" --- # The wise man knows when to keep silent. Only the fool… ![“The wise man knows when to keep silent. Only the fool tells all he knows.” quote by Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd7/neil-gaiman-29_fool_the-wise-man-knows-when-to-keep-silent-o_3128416.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd7/neil-gaiman-29_fool_the-wise-man-knows-when-to-keep-silent-o_3128416.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd7/neil-gaiman-29_fool_the-wise-man-knows-when-to-keep-silent-o_3128416.jpg) > “The wise man knows when to keep silent. Only the fool tells all he knows.” [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Wisdom lies in knowing when to speak; foolishness is revealing everything without discretion. **In simple terms:** Silence shows wisdom; talk shows folly. Key Takeaway Practice restraint in speech. Themes wisdom communication humility knowledge foolishness Mood thoughtful calm Type philosophical advisory When to use this quote - leadership meetings - conflict resolution - personal reflection Key Concepts philosophy social etiquette self‑control Questions to Reflect On - When is speaking essential despite risk? - How does silence affect relationships? A Different Perspective Silence can be misinterpreted as indifference or weakness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise/) [Wise man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise-man/) ## Related quotes > [It's better to be silent than to be a fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/it-s-better-to-be-silent-than-to-be-a-fool/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [The fool tells me his reason; the wise man persuades me with my own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-fool-tells-me-his-reason-the-wise-man-persuades-me-with-my-own/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [“Not one person in a hundred knows how to be silent and listen, no, nor even to conceive what such a thing means. Yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/not-one-person-in-a-hundred-knows-how-to-be-silent-and-listen-no-nor/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [That's what a man wants in a wife, mostly; he wants to make sure one fool tells him he's wise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/that-s-what-a-man-wants-in-a-wife-mostly-he-wants-to-make-sure-one/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [He is nearest to the gods who knows how to be silent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cato-the-elder/he-is-nearest-to-the-gods-who-knows-how-to-be-silent/) [Cato the Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cato-the-elder/) > [He knows not when to be silent who knows not when to speak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/publilius-syrus/he-knows-not-when-to-be-silent-who-knows-not-when-to-speak/) [Publilius Syrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/publilius-syrus/) > [“For to-day I take or give; For to-day I drink and live; For to-day I beg or borrow; Who knows about the silent morrow?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lew-wallace/for-to-day-i-take-or-give-for-to-day-i-drink-and-live-for-to-day-i/) [Lew Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lew-wallace/) > [It is hard to say which is the greatest fool: he who tells the whole truth, or he who tells no truth at all.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/it-is-hard-to-say-which-is-the-greatest-fool-he-who-tells-the-whole/) [Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/) > [“Fool, he tells himself. She’s not here. She was never here. It was imagination and wishful thinking, nothing but that. Resign yourself. He can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/fool-he-tells-himself-she-s-not-here-she-was-never-here-it-was/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [Only a sadistic scoundrel-or a fool-tells the bald truth on social occasions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/only-a-sadistic-scoundrel-or-a-fool-tells-the-bald-truth-on-social/) [Robert A. 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Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-t-bennett/) > [Now it stands to reason, mister, any damn fool stares into the sun long enough, he'll end up seeing exactly what some other damn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/now-it-stands-to-reason-mister-any-damn-fool-stares-into-the-sun-long/) [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) > [He who knows nothing knows enough if he knows how to be silent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/he-who-knows-nothing-knows-enough-if-he-knows-how-to-be-silent/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) ## More by Neil Gaiman > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Like all sentient beings, Fat Charlie had a weirdness quotient. 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They shine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/what-do-stars-do-they-shine/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“What," asked Mr Croup, "do you want?" "What," asked the Marquis de Carabas, a little more rhetorically, "does anyone want?" "Dead things," suggested Mr…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/what-asked-mr-croup-do-you-want-what-asked-the-marquis-de-carabas-a/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [You get on with your own life. Lettie gave it to you. You just have to grow up and try and be worth it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-get-on-with-your-own-life-lettie-gave-it-to-you-you-just-have-to/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Eyes will not see you. Minds will not hold you. 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I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [A fool and his money get a lot of publicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-bernstein/a-fool-and-his-money-get-a-lot-of-publicity/) [Al Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-bernstein/) > [There are different kinds of fire; there is false fire. No one knows this better than we do, but we are not such fools…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-booth/there-are-different-kinds-of-fire-there-is-false-fire-no-one-knows/) [William Booth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-booth/) > [Every man must wear out at least one pair of fools shoes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-derr-biggers/every-man-must-wear-out-at-least-one-pair-of-fools-shoes/) [Earl Derr Biggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-derr-biggers/) > [If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wc-fields/if-at-first-you-don-t-succeed-try-try-again-then-quit-no-use-being-a/) [WC Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wc-fields/) > [There is nothing that we can properly call our own but our time, and yet everybody fools us out of it who has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/there-is-nothing-that-we-can-properly-call-our-own-but-our-time-and/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [I'd be a fool to be in this for the money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benny-hinn/i-d-be-a-fool-to-be-in-this-for-the-money/) [Benny Hinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benny-hinn/) > [It is a fool of a shepherd who culls his dogs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jefferson-smith/it-is-a-fool-of-a-shepherd-who-culls-his-dogs/) [Jefferson Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jefferson-smith/) > [Prefer to be defeated in the presence of the wise than to excel among fools.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/prefer-to-be-defeated-in-the-presence-of-the-wise-than-to-excel-among/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A mistake doesnt make you a fool, but denying it surely makes you one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/a-mistake-doesnt-make-you-a-fool-but-denying-it-surely-makes-you-one/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) [Browse all 5,535 Fool quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The wise man knows when to keep silent. 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