Eternity Quote by Thomas Carlyle
““Silence is the element in which great things fashion themselves together; that at length they may emerge, full-formed and majestic, into the daylight of Life, which they are thenceforth to rule. Not William the Silent only, but all the considerable men I have known, and the most undiplomatic and unstrategic of these, forbore to babble of what they were creating and projecting. Nay, in thy own mean perplexities, do thou thyself but hold thy tongue for one day: on the morrow, how much clearer are thy purposes and duties; what wreck and rubbish have those mute workmen within thee swept away, when intrusive noises were shut out! Speech is too often not, as the Frenchman defined it, the art of concealing Thought; but of quite stifling and suspending Thought, so that there is none to conceal. Speech too is great, but not the greatest. As the Swiss Inscription says: Sprecfien ist silbern, Schweigen ist golden (Speech is silvern, Silence is golden); or as I might rather express it: Speech is of Time, Silence is of Eternity.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Sartor Resartus by Thomas Carlyle, 1833
Silence allows ideas to develop fully before being expressed, leading to more profound and lasting results.
In simple terms: Quiet lets thoughts grow stronger.
Embrace silence to refine your purpose.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- writing
- strategic planning
- personal development
- artistic creation
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How does silence shape your creative process?
- When is speaking more beneficial than staying quiet?
Silence can also hinder collaboration and timely feedback.