proverb · Words worth keeping
Silence is one great art of conversation.
Silence is one great art of conversation.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying makes silence an art within conversation. It values restraint and listening as contributions to an exchange rather than treating talk as its only activity.
What the words are saying
One great art leaves room for other conversational skills. A useful application can allow someone time to finish or space to think, without making silence obligatory. The phrase does not imply agreement or justify preventing a person from speaking.
Everyday example
A listener pauses while another person finishes explaining a concern before responding.
When to use it
Use it to discuss attentive pauses and room for others to speak.
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What it does not mean
Silence does not establish agreement and should not be imposed to suppress a voice.
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
- Not established
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 proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 77; PDF page 15
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.