proverb · Legacy record
Don’t bother to speak if nobody is there to listen.
Don’t bother to speak if nobody is there to listen.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Speech discouraged when nobody listens makes reception part of communication’s purpose. The saying questions effort directed at an absent or unavailable audience.
What the words are saying
A responsible reading does not mean unheard people should remain silent or that immediate attention is the only value of expression. Recording, reflection and later communication can have purposes. A useful application considers the aim, audience and access instead of blaming a speaker for not receiving a hearing.
Everyday example
Someone chooses a more accessible way to communicate a concern rather than assuming an ignored message has no value.
When to use it
Use it to examine communication’s purpose without silencing ignored voices.
Put a useful idea into practice: try the free seven-day guide ↗
What it does not mean
No universal futility of unheard speech or blame for lack of an audience 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
Egypt
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 601; PDF page 55; collection label: Egypt
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- Egypt