Where the speech is corrupted, the mind is also.
—Seneca
Discretion in speech is more than eloquence.
—Francis Bacon
Look wise, say nothing, and grunt. Speech was given to conceal thought.
—Sir William Osler
Much speech is one thing, well-timed speech is another.
—Sophocles
Speech is human, silence is divine, yet also brutish and dead: therefore we must learn both arts.
—Thomas Carlyle
In a free state there should be freedom of speech and thought.
—Tiberius
If it is not right, do not do it; if it is not true, do not say it.
—Marcus Aurelius
Ten people who speak make more noise than ten thousand who are silent.
—Napoleon Bonaparte
You can't undo something that's happened; you can't take back a word that's already been said out loud.
—Jodi Picoult in Nineteen Minutes
She needed a break from worrying about what to say and how to act every second of the day.
—Cindi Madsen in All the Broken Pieces
What would I have said to him if I'd known I would never see him again?
—Jennifer Niven in All the Bright Places
Is sloppiness in speech caused by ignorance or apathy? I don't know and I don't care.
—William Safire
Cultivate quietness in your speech, in your thoughts, in your emotions. Speak habitually low. Wait for attention and then your low words will be charged with dynamite.
—Elbert Hubbard
I don't have to tell you it goes without saying there are some things better left unsaid. I think that speaks for itself. The less said about it, the better.
—George Carlin
When you find yourself about to say something that crosses a line, something that could cause irreparable harm, sometimes the best you can do is just not say that thing.
—Tammara Webber in Where You Are