Quotes About Silence

follow Nietzsche, who warned us that what we can find words for is already dead in our hearts, so that there is always a kind of contempt in the act of speaking.

So often, below the word spoken, is the thing known and unspoken. My characters tell me so much and no more… most of the time we're inexpressive, giving little away, unreliable, elusive, evasive, obstructive, unwilling. But it's out of these attributes that a language arises. A language, I repeat, where under what is said, another thing is being said.

I see no human beings. My phone never rings. I'm so very old and so very lonely. I hear from no one.

It's not necessary to tell all you know. It's not ladylike -- in the second place, folks don't like to have someone around knowin' more than they do. It aggravates them. Your not gonna change any of them by talkin' right, they've got to want to learn themselves, and when they don't want to learn there's nothing you can do but keep your mouth shut or talk their language.

When stalking one's prey, it is best to take one's time. Say nothing, and as sure as eggs he will become curious and emerge.

Nothing is more deadly than a deserted, waiting street.

On any other day she would have stood barefoot on the wet grass listening to the mockingbirds' early service; she would have pondered over the meaninglessness of silent, austere beauty renewing itself with every sunrise and going ungazed at by half the world. She would have walked beneath yellow-ringed pines rising to a brilliant eastern sky, and her senses would have succumbed to the joy of the morning. It was waiting to receive her, but she neither looked nor listened.

I could think of nothing else to say to her. In fact I could never think of anything to say to her, and I sat thinking of past painful conversations between us: How are you, Jean Louise? Fine, thank you ma'am, how are you? Very well, thank you; what have you been doing with yourself? Nothin'. Don't you do anything? Nome. Certainly you have friends? Yessum. Well what do you all do? Nothin'.

Miss Maudie's hand closed tightly on mine, and I said nothing. Its warmth was enough.

The one thing she liked most about Henry Clinton was that he let her be silent when she wanted to be. She did not have to entertain him.

It's not necessary to tell all you know. It's not ladylike- in the second place, folks don't like to have somebody around knowin' more than they do. It aggravates 'em. You're not gonna change any of them by talkin' right, they've got to want to learn themselves, and when they don't want to learn there's nothing you can do but keep your mouth shut or talk their language.

she would have pondered over the meaninglessness of silent, austere beauty renewing itself with every sunrise and going ungazed at by half the world.

It's not necessary to tell all you know. It's not ladylike—in the second place, folks don't like to have somebody around knowin' more than they do. It aggravates 'em. You're not gonna change any of them by talkin' right, they've got to want to learn themselves, and when they don't want to learn there's nothing you can do but keep your mouth shut or talk their language." "Cal

Then Jem said hush a minute. I thought he was thinkin'—he always wants you to hush so he can think.

Miško paukštis ? mišk? ir ži?ri

Do you itch, Jem?" I asked as politely as I could. He did not answer. "Come on in, Jem," I said. "After while.

The house got so lonesome 'long about two o'clock I had to turn on the radio.

An old campaigner, he did not speak until we were on the sidewalk. "What's up?" "Jem's got the look-arounds," an affliction Calpurnia said all boys caught at his age.

It's not necessary to tell all you know. It's not ladylike—in the second place, folks don't like to have somebody around knowin' more than they do. It aggravates 'em. You're not gonna change any of them by talkin' right, they've got to want to learn themselves, and when they don't want to learn there's nothing you can do but keep your mouth shut or talk their language.

Uncle Jimmy present or Uncle Jimmy absent made not much difference, he never said anything.

It's not necessary to tell all you know. It's not ladylike—in the second place, folks don't like to have somebody around knowin' more than they do. It aggravates 'em. You're not gonna change any of them by talkin' right, they've got to want to learn themselves, and when they don't want to learn there's nothing you can do but keep your mouth shut or talk

She was silent. Time stopped, shifted, and went lazily in reverse. Somehow, then, it was always summer.

Tom [Robinson] era morto nell'attimo stesso in cui Mayella Ewell aveva aperto la bocca e urlato.

It's better to be silent than to be a fool