--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Half of seeming clever is keeping your…" description: "\"Half of seeming clever is keeping your mouth shut at the right times.\" — Patrick Rothfuss" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/patrick-rothfuss-145_clever_half-of-seeming-clever-is-keeping-your-m_748888.jpg" --- # Half of seeming clever is keeping your mouth shut at the… ![“Half of seeming clever is keeping your mouth shut at the right times.” quote by Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/patrick-rothfuss-145_clever_half-of-seeming-clever-is-keeping-your-m_748888.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/patrick-rothfuss-145_clever_half-of-seeming-clever-is-keeping-your-m_748888.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/patrick-rothfuss-145_clever_half-of-seeming-clever-is-keeping-your-m_748888.jpg) > “Half of seeming clever is keeping your mouth shut at the right times.” [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True intelligence often lies in restraint; speaking wisely at the right moments shows deeper understanding. **In simple terms:** Being quiet at key times shows smarts. Key Takeaway Practice thoughtful silence. Themes wisdom communication restraint perception Mood reflective strategic Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - negotiations - team meetings - conflict resolution - personal relationships Key Concepts social intelligence strategic silence mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - When should you speak up after staying silent? - How does silence affect others' trust? A Different Perspective Silence can be misinterpreted as disengagement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Clever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clever/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [You're almost always better off keeping your mouth shut, but don't let that stop you from popping off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-rooney/you-re-almost-always-better-off-keeping-your-mouth-shut-but-don-t-let/) [Andy Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-rooney/) > [One of the hardest things in the world is keeping your mouth shut when you know something needs to be said.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/one-of-the-hardest-things-in-the-world-is-keeping-your-mouth-shut/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [I won this award for keeping my mouth shut, so I think I'll do it again now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-wyman/i-won-this-award-for-keeping-my-mouth-shut-so-i-think-i-ll-do-it/) [Jane Wyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-wyman/) > [Most men talk too much. Much of my success has been due to keeping my mouth shut.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-ogden-armour/most-men-talk-too-much-much-of-my-success-has-been-due-to-keeping-my/) [J. Ogden Armour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-ogden-armour/) > [Is keeping my mouth shut of all the things I need to say because in reality you'll just look the other way and pretend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/young-siddiq-prince/is-keeping-my-mouth-shut-of-all-the-things-i-need-to-say-because-in/) [Young Siddiq Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/young-siddiq-prince/) > [I love a good argument and sometimes I have a hard time keeping my mouth shut if I think someone is wrong... I've always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-love-a-good-argument-and-sometimes-i-have-a-hard-time-keeping-my/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [“She preferred keeping her mouth shut and appearing a fool to opening it and removing the doubt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-smith/she-preferred-keeping-her-mouth-shut-and-appearing-a-fool-to-opening/) [Joan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-smith/) > [I have a problem keeping my mouth shut. I usually speak my mind. I'm trying to learn my lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-hendricks/i-have-a-problem-keeping-my-mouth-shut-i-usually-speak-my-mind-i-m/) [Christina Hendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-hendricks/) > [In some cases is keeping your mouth shut the best answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/in-some-cases-is-keeping-your-mouth-shut-the-best-answer/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [“Keeping your mouth shut is a devastating weapon. Your silence will make your opponent want to babble.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/keeping-your-mouth-shut-is-a-devastating-weapon-your-silence-will/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [I'm the undisputed champion of keeping my mouth shut and just sitting there like a piece of furniture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hamilton/i-m-the-undisputed-champion-of-keeping-my-mouth-shut-and-just-sitting/) [Steve Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hamilton/) > [I learned that when something just has to be said to move the discussion along, or broaden it or deepen it, if I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greil-marcus/i-learned-that-when-something-just-has-to-be-said-to-move-the/) [Greil Marcus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greil-marcus/) > [I learned a lot about humility and patience, keeping my mouth shut.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madonna-ciccone/i-learned-a-lot-about-humility-and-patience-keeping-my-mouth-shut/) [Madonna Ciccone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madonna-ciccone/) > [“Keeping your mouth shut whilst eating shit will get you far in life but your soul will die of starvation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-cavanagh/keeping-your-mouth-shut-whilst-eating-shit-will-get-you-far-in-life/) [Dean Cavanagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-cavanagh/) > [There's nothing wrong with keeping your mouth shut if you don't have anything nice to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-weiner/there-s-nothing-wrong-with-keeping-your-mouth-shut-if-you-don-t-have/) [Jennifer Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-weiner/) ## More by Patrick Rothfuss > [Each woman is like an instrument, waiting to be learned, loved, and finely played, to have at last her own true music made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/each-woman-is-like-an-instrument-waiting-to-be-learned-loved-and/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. 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How terrible to live surrounded by the stark, sharp, hollowness of things that simply were enough?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/but-how-awful-would-that-be-how-terrible-to-live-surrounded-by-the/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [ Here's the thing: Authors live or die by recommendations. \[That's one of the reason I review so many books on Goodreads.\] Giving books you… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/here-s-the-thing-authors-live-or-die-by-recommendations-that-s-one-of/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I was pretty poor for a long time. Not \*poor\* poor. But college student poor. 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They were familiar… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/there-was-another-reason-she-took-her-books-whenever-they-went-away/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [“The cactus thrives in the desert while the fern thrives in the wetland. The fool will try to plant them in the same flowerbox.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/the-cactus-thrives-in-the-desert-while-the-fern-thrives-in-the/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [Good people are found not changed. Recently I read a headline that said, 'We don't teach people to be nice. 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