“The beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms.”
Socrates
ClarityWisdom
Communication Quotes
200 FAMOUS QUOTES · COMMUNICATION
Communication Quotes
Read 200 of the best communication quotes about listening, speaking, words, silence and conversation, from Shakespeare, Confucius, Mark Twain and more.
“Spoken words are the symbols of mental experience and written words are the symbols of spoken words.”
Aristotle
LanguageWriting
“Be silent, or say something better than silence.”
Pythagoras
SilenceWisdom
“Avoid speaking of persons, either blaming or praising or comparing.”
Epictetus
GossipRespect
“Neither let studied ornament set off thy thoughts, and be not either a man of many words, or busy about too many things.”
Marcus Aurelius
SimplicityBrevity
“He is earnest in what he is doing, and careful in his speech.”
Confucius
CautionDiligence
“Hear much and put aside the points of which you stand in doubt, while you speak cautiously at the same time of the others: then you will afford few occasions for blame.”
Confucius
ListeningCaution
“There are few in the world who attain to the teaching without words.”
Lao Tzu
SilenceExample
“Him I call indeed a Brahmana who utters true speech, instructive and free from harshness, so that he offend no one.”
Buddha (Dhammapada)
TruthKindness
“Speech causing no annoyance, truthful, pleasant and beneficial, is called the austerity of speech.”
Bhagavad Gita
Wise SpeechKindness
“He that hath knowledge spareth his words.”
The Bible (Proverbs 17:27)
WisdomBrevity
“Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: but they that deal truly are his delight.”
The Bible (Proverbs 12:22)
HonestyTruth
“Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer.”
The Bible (Proverbs 24:26)
HonestyRespect
“Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.”
The Bible (Proverbs 20:5)
ListeningUnderstanding
“Teach me, and I will hold my tongue.”
The Bible (Job 6:24)
LearningHumility
“And none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.”
The Bible (Job 2:13)
SilenceCompassion
“Let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile.”
The Bible (1 Peter 3:10)
HonestySelf-Control
“The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth.”
The Bible (Proverbs 16:23)
WisdomThoughtfulness
“Sound speech, that cannot be condemned.”
The Bible (Titus 2:8)
IntegritySpeaking
“The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious.”
The Bible (Ecclesiastes 10:12)
GraceWisdom
“The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters.”
The Bible (Proverbs 18:4)
WordsDepth
“Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say.”
William Shakespeare
HonestyAuthenticity
“How long a time lies in one little word!”
William Shakespeare
Power Of WordsTime
“Zounds! I was never so bethump'd with words.”
William Shakespeare
FunnyWords
“Conceit, more rich in matter than in words, brags of his substance, not of ornament.”
William Shakespeare
SubstanceSimplicity