Wider ears and a shorter tongue.

Meaning: Listening more than speaking prevents foolishness and builds wisdom through others' knowledge.

Origin: From 'A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases' (1870). Public domain.

More proverbs about Communication

• That which is easily done is soon believed. — Quick, effortless results breed credibility, while difficult achievements invite skeptici…
• Send a wise man on an errand and say nothing to him. — Trust competent people to understand their task without micromanagement or unnecessary ex…
• One eye-witness is better than ten hearsays. — Direct observation beats secondhand reports because eyewitnesses capture truth free from…
• God send me a friend that may tell me my faults; if not, an enemy, he will be sure to. — Criticism from friends teaches growth; enemies provide it regardless, so seek honest feed…
• Happy is he who knows his follies in his youth. — Self-awareness in youth allows course correction before mistakes become entrenched life p…
• A fool may ask more questions in half an hour than a wise man can answer in seven years. — Foolish questioning consumes time unproductively while wisdom requires patient, deliberat…

← Back to Proverbs

Loading the full interactive collection…