Silence is golden
Meaning: Sometimes it's better to say nothing.
Origin: Thomas Carlyle's Sartor Resartus (1831) quotes a Swiss inscription: "Sprechen ist silbern, Schweigen ist golden" — speech is silver, silence is golden. The thought is often said to be Arabic or ancient, but Carlyle's is the first clear source for the silver-and-gold pairing.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, and German
- French: Le silence est d'or (literally: Silence is of gold)
- Spanish: El silencio es oro (literally: Silence is gold)
- Japanese: 沈黙は金 (Chinmoku wa kin) (literally: Silence is gold)
- German: Reden ist Silber, Schweigen ist Gold (literally: Speaking is silver, silence is gold)
More proverbs about Communication
- Actions speak louder than words — What you do matters more than what you say.
- Empty vessels make the most noise — Those who know the least often talk the most.
- Still waters run deep — Quiet people often have great depth of character.
- Barking dogs seldom bite — People who make threats rarely carry them out.
- A picture is worth a thousand words — Visual information communicates more effectively than text.
- The squeaky wheel gets the grease — Those who complain the most get attention.