--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Hear no evil, speak no evil - and you'll…" description: "\"Hear no evil, speak no evil - and you'll never be invited to a party\" — Oscar Wilde" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77e/oscar-wilde-16_evil_hear-no-evil-speak-no-evil-and-you-ll-ne_2959219.jpg" --- # Hear no evil, speak no evil - and you'll never be invited… ![“Hear no evil, speak no evil - and you'll never be invited to a party” quote by Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77e/oscar-wilde-16_evil_hear-no-evil-speak-no-evil-and-you-ll-ne_2959219.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77e/oscar-wilde-16_evil_hear-no-evil-speak-no-evil-and-you-ll-ne_2959219.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77e/oscar-wilde-16_evil_hear-no-evil-speak-no-evil-and-you-ll-ne_2959219.jpg) > “Hear no evil, speak no evil - and you'll never be invited to a party” [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Avoiding evil speech and action leads to social isolation. **In simple terms:** Silence on evil keeps you excluded. Key Takeaway Speak out against wrongdoing. Themes morality social speech Mood serious thought‑provoking Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - activism - community - relationships - politics Key Concepts ethical behavior courage Questions to Reflect On - When is silence justified? - How can you confront evil safely? A Different Perspective Silence may protect safety in hostile contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Evil Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil-speak-1363306/) [Hear Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hear-evil-1183692/) [Party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/party/) [Speak Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speak-evil-472964/) [Speak no evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speak-no-evil/) ## Related quotes > [Hear no evil, speak no evil, and you won't be invited to cocktail parties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/hear-no-evil-speak-no-evil-and-you-won-t-be-invited-to-cocktail/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Hear no evil. See no evil. Speak no evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/hear-no-evil-see-no-evil-speak-no-evil/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil but then also do no evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-abraham/hear-no-evil-speak-no-evil-see-no-evil-but-then-also-do-no-evil/) [Amit Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-abraham/) > [“Hear no evil. Speak no evil. See no evil. Read the newspapers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ljupka-cvetanova/hear-no-evil-speak-no-evil-see-no-evil-read-the-newspapers/) [Ljupka Cvetanova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ljupka-cvetanova/) > [See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. Rohypnol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carr/see-no-evil-hear-no-evil-speak-no-evil-rohypnol/) [Jimmy Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carr/) > [Speak no evil, that thou mayest not hear it spoken unto thee, and magnify not the faults of others that thine own faults may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baha-u-llah/speak-no-evil-that-thou-mayest-not-hear-it-spoken-unto-thee-and/) [Bahá'u'lláh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baha-u-llah/) > [Speak no evil of the Lady Galadriel!" said Aragorn sternly. "You know not what you say. There is in her and in this land,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/speak-no-evil-of-the-lady-galadriel-said-aragorn-sternly-you-know-not/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) > [As for monkeys, I would have five, and they would be named: See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil, Do Pretty Much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tad-williams/as-for-monkeys-i-would-have-five-and-they-would-be-named-see-no-evil/) [Tad Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tad-williams/) > [We must regard Sarah Palin as the Carmella Soprano of the GOP -- an enabling wife of organized crime, who sees, hears and speaks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cintra-wilson/we-must-regard-sarah-palin-as-the-carmella-soprano-of-the-gop-an/) [Cintra Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cintra-wilson/) > [If you speak evil, you will soon be worse spoken of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesiod/if-you-speak-evil-you-will-soon-be-worse-spoken-of/) [Hesiod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesiod/) > [Don't speak evil of someone if you don't know for certain, and if you do know ask yourself, why am I telling it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-kaspar-lavater/don-t-speak-evil-of-someone-if-you-don-t-know-for-certain-and-if-you/) [Johann Kaspar Lavater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-kaspar-lavater/) > [“Have you never thought how danger must surround power as shadow does light? This sorcery is not a game we play for pleasure or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/have-you-never-thought-how-danger-must-surround-power-as-shadow-does/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [Do not wish evil for others. Do not speak ill of others. Do not obstruct anyones activities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-nanak/do-not-wish-evil-for-others-do-not-speak-ill-of-others-do-not/) [Guru Nanak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-nanak/) > [They say to live is evil, but to waste gods creation and not live the liffe god has givin you would show evil. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/they-say-to-live-is-evil-but-to-waste-gods-creation-and-not-live-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“34 a“Brood1 of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? bFor out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-hayford/34-a-brood1-of-vipers-how-can-you-being-evil-speak-good-things-bfor/) [Jack Hayford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-hayford/) ## More by Oscar Wilde > [How else but through a broken heart may Lord Christ enter in?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/how-else-but-through-a-broken-heart-may-lord-christ-enter-in/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [The books that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its own shame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-books-that-the-world-calls-immoral-are-the-books-that-show-the/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Bachelors should be heavily taxed. It is not fair that some men should be happier than others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/bachelors-should-be-heavily-taxed-it-is-not-fair-that-some-men-should/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Who, being loved, is poor?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/who-being-loved-is-poor/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Basil my dear boy puts everything that is charming in him into his work. The consequence is that he has nothing left for life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/basil-my-dear-boy-puts-everything-that-is-charming-in-him-into-his/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Anybody can be good in the country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/anybody-can-be-good-in-the-country/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [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/) > [“Alles Populäre ist falsch.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/alles-popul-re-ist-falsch/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“If these elements of beauty are real, the whole thing simply appeals to our sense of dramatic effect. Suddenly we find that we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/if-these-elements-of-beauty-are-real-the-whole-thing-simply-appeals/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [To love one's self is the beginning of a life-long romance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/to-love-one-s-self-is-the-beginning-of-a-life-long-romance/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are the cultivated. For these there is hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/those-who-find-beautiful-meanings-in-beautiful-things-are-the/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Men always want to be a womans first love. Women have a more subtle instinct: What they like is to be a mans last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/men-always-want-to-be-a-womans-first-love-women-have-a-more-subtle/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Why is it that at a bachelor's establishment the servants invariably drink the champagne.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/why-is-it-that-at-a-bachelor-s-establishment-the-servants-invariably/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Moderation is a fatal thing. Enough is as bad as a meal. More than enough is as good as a feast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/moderation-is-a-fatal-thing-enough-is-as-bad-as-a-meal-more-than/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Beauty is the only thing that time cannot harm. Philosophies fall away like sand, creeds follow one another, but what is beautiful is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/beauty-is-the-only-thing-that-time-cannot-harm-philosophies-fall-away/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) [Explore all 3,343 Oscar Wilde quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) ## More Evil quotes > [I've always been fascinated by the idea that there's no such thing as evil; it's all in your point of view. To one group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-roth/i-ve-always-been-fascinated-by-the-idea-that-there-s-no-such-thing-as/) [Eli Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-roth/) > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [I do conscientiously and sincerely believe that the Order of Freemasonry, if not the greatest, is one of the greatest moral and political evils…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/i-do-conscientiously-and-sincerely-believe-that-the-order-of/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [The Republicans do not look on the Democrats as the evil empire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/the-republicans-do-not-look-on-the-democrats-as-the-evil-empire/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [What is done out of love always takes place beyond good and evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-is-done-out-of-love-always-takes-place-beyond-good-and-evil/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ Evil cannot be "treated" -- nor should it be. Evil has to \[be\] confronted and destroyed and it matters not why the evil is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/evil-cannot-be-treated-nor-should-it-be-evil-has-to-be-confronted-and/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [The evil which does me no harm is like the good which in no wise avails me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/the-evil-which-does-me-no-harm-is-like-the-good-which-in-no-wise/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/attack-the-evil-that-is-within-yourself-rather-than-attacking-the/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Somewhere somebody must have some sense. Men must see that force begets force, hate begets hate, toughness begets toughness. And it is all a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/somewhere-somebody-must-have-some-sense-men-must-see-that-force/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [There is a spirit which I feel that delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong, but delights to endure all things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nayler/there-is-a-spirit-which-i-feel-that-delights-to-do-no-evil-nor-to/) [James Nayler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-nayler/) > [The politician attempts to remedy the evil by increasing the very thing that caused the evil in the first place: legal plunder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-politician-attempts-to-remedy-the-evil-by-increasing-the-very/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [“Water is so friendly when you have it on your palms, but so evil when they have you on theirs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/water-is-so-friendly-when-you-have-it-on-your-palms-but-so-evil-when/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [THE ART OF PEACE is not easy. It is a fight to the finish, the slaying of evil desires and all falsehood within. On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morihei-ueshiba/the-art-of-peace-is-not-easy-it-is-a-fight-to-the-finish-the-slaying/) [Morihei Ueshiba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morihei-ueshiba/) [Browse all 11,163 Evil quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Hear no evil, speak no evil - and you'll never be invited to a party", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Oscar Wilde" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/hear-no-evil-speak-no-evil-and-you-ll-never-be-invited-to-a-party/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Evil" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/hear-no-evil-speak-no-evil-and-you-ll-never-be-invited-to-a-party/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77e/oscar-wilde-16_evil_hear-no-evil-speak-no-evil-and-you-ll-ne_2959219.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77e/oscar-wilde-16_evil_hear-no-evil-speak-no-evil-and-you-ll-ne_2959219.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77e/oscar-wilde-16_evil_hear-no-evil-speak-no-evil-and-you-ll-ne_2959219.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Hear no evil, speak no evil - and you'll never be invited to a party” — Oscar Wilde", "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": "Oscar Wilde", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Hear no evil, speak no evil...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/hear-no-evil-speak-no-evil-and-you-ll-never-be-invited-to-a-party/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/hear-no-evil-speak-no-evil-and-you-ll-never-be-invited-to-a-party/#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 } } ] } ```