Silence in the face of injustice is complicity with the oppressor.
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out – for I was not a socialistThen they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out – for I was not a trade unionistThen they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a JewThen they came for me – and there was no one left to speak out.
Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.
Be silent or let thy words be worth more than silence.
First they came for the Communists, but I was not a Communist so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Socialists and the Trade Unionists, but I was neither, so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Jews, but I was not a Jew so I did not speak out. And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me.
Truth can be outraged by silence quite as cruelly as by speech.
One of the best ways to persuade others is with your ears.
Silence propagates itself, and the longer talk has been suspended, the more difficult it is to find anything to say.
Better silent than stupid.
It is a great misfortune neither to have enough wit to talk well nor enough judgement to be silent.
I have noticed that nothing I never said ever did me any harm.
It is easier to talk than to hold one’s tongue.
Speech is silver; silence is golden.
Still waters run deep.
Vessels never give so great a sound as when they are empty.
I regret often that I have spoken; never that I have been silent.
Nature has given to men one tongue, but two ears, that we may hear from others twice as much as we speak.
The cruelest lies are often told in silence.
The silent dog is the first to bite.
Silence is as full of potential wisdom and wit as the unhewn marble of great sculpture.
I believe in the discipline of silence and could talk for hours about it.
