ProverbHuman NatureAmerican origin

The forest would be silent if no bird sang except the one that sang best

Meaning: Everyone has a unique contribution; holding back out of self-doubt robs the world.

Origin: Quotation collections credit the American writer and clergyman Henry van Dyke (1852–1933), usually in the fuller form "Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best." No one has identified the book or speech it comes from, so the attribution is unconfirmed.

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