Skip to content
quotesby

About this quote

What does it mean?
Effective communication involves balancing speech with silence.
In plain terms
Knowing when to stop talking is as important as knowing when to start.
What can you take from it?
Practice silence as much as speech.

Where it applies

  • negotiations
  • conversations
  • speeches

Putting it to work

  • pause before responding
  • listen actively

Questions to consider

  • When did silence serve you better?
  • How do you decide when to stop talking?

Another view

Sometimes speaking up is more critical than pausing.

More from Jack Benny

  1. My wife Mary and I have been married for forty-seven years and not once have we had an argument serious enough to consider divorce; murder, yes, but divorce, n…

    Permalink to quote #5
  2. 'Hors D'oeuvre: A ham sandwich cut into forty pieces'

    Permalink to quote #7
  3. I don't want to tell you how much insurance I carry with the Prudential, but all I can say is: when I go, they go too.

    Permalink to quote #4

Related quotes

  1. My basic rule is to speak slowly and simply so that my audience has an opportunity to follow and think about what I am saying.

    Margaret Chase SmithMargaret Chase Smith quote #16
  2. Nature has given us two ears but only one mouth.

    Benjamin DisraeliBenjamin Disraeli quote #79
  3. Some people approach every problem with an open mouth.

    Adlai StevensonAdlai Stevenson quote #91