proverb · Words worth keeping
The stillest humours are always the worst.
The stillest humours are always the worst.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying judges the stillest humours as the worst. It makes apparent quietness a negative sign while leaving the intended sense of humours unexplained.
Example
A reader asks what humours means in the setting before deciding whether the phrase concerns temperament or something else.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
Stillest and worst create a surprising ranking without identifying what is being compared. A qualified human reading may question whether calm appearance conceals difficulty, but the source supplies no evidence of hidden motives or a physiological system. A responsible explanation leaves those possibilities uncertain rather than equating quietness with danger.
When to use it
Use it to examine an ambiguous negative judgment of apparent stillness.
Keep in mind
The phrase does not diagnose a condition or prove that quiet people are harmful.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their 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
- Date unknown
- Culture
- English