'It is better not to express what one means than to express what one does not mean.'
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- It is safer to stay silent than to misrepresent your true thoughts.
- In plain terms
- Say nothing instead of saying something false.
- What can you take from it?
- Avoid miscommunication by withholding unclear statements.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When is silence more honest than speech?
- How do you define meaning?
Another view
Silence can also be interpreted as agreement or indifference.
More from Karl Kraus
I and my public understand each other very well: it does not hear what I say, and I don't say what it wants to hear.
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Permalink to quote #27
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Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and if you speak, speak accordingly.
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