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About this quote

What does it mean?
When someone remains silent in a situation where they could object, their silence is often interpreted as agreement.
In plain terms
Not speaking up means you agree.
What can you take from it?
Speak clearly if you disagree.

Where it applies

  • negotiations
  • meetings
  • disputes

Putting it to work

  • clarify stance
  • ask for confirmation
  • document agreement

Questions to consider

  • When is silence actually agreement?
  • How can you ensure true consent?

Another view

Silence can also stem from fear or lack of knowledge rather than consent.

More from Oliver Goldsmith

  1. Friendship is a disinterested commerce between equals; love, an abject intercourse between tyrants and slaves.

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  2. Measures, not men, have always been my mark.

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  3. All his faults are such that one loves him still the better for them.

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