proverb · Legacy record
A few people don’t say what they think, and some others don’t think before they speak.
A few people don’t say what they think, and some others don’t think before they speak.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Not saying what one thinks is contrasted with speaking before thinking. The saying identifies two different gaps between thought and expression.
What the words are saying
The contrast is not a measured division of people. A useful interpretation asks whether a particular communication is candid and considered while respecting privacy and the limits of inferring motives. Thoughtful silence can be appropriate, and spontaneous speech is not automatically false or harmful.
Everyday example
Someone considers both what they intend and what the situation appropriately calls for before replying.
When to use it
Use it to discuss candour and reflection with context retained.
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What it does not mean
No complete classification of speakers or duty to disclose every thought is established.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
Mexico
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin.- Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided wisdom reference (2014 AD)
Supplied reference B; unit 213; PDF page 26; collection label: Mexico
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- Mexico