Qui plussait, plus se tait. French, you know. The more a man knows, the less he talks.
Interpretation
Knowledge often leads to humility, where the more one understands, the less one feels the need to speak.
This quote suggests that true wisdom is often reflected in silence rather than constant speech. As individuals gain knowledge and insight, they may realize the complexity of issues, leading to a more thoughtful approach that values listening and contemplation over talking extensively.
In practice
In a discussion about personal growth and development, one might quote this to emphasize the value of listening over talking.
Truth is what is true, and it's not necessarily factual. Truth and fact are not the same thing. Truth does not contradict or deny facts, but it goes through and beyond facts. This is something that it is very difficult for some people to understand. Truth can be dangerous.
George MacDonald gives me renewed strength during times of trouble--times when I have seen people tempted to deny God--when he says, "The Son of God suffered unto death, not that men might not suffer, but that their sufferings might be like his.
If you don't recount your family history, it will be lost. Honor your own stories and tell them too. The tales may not seem very important, but they are what binds families and makes each of us who we are.
I never want to lose the story-loving child within me, or the adolescent, or the young woman, or the middle-aged one, because all together they help me to be fully alive on this journey, and show me that I must be willing to go where it takes me, even through the valley of the shadow.
The minute we begin to think we have all the answers, we forget the questions.
When we believe in the impossible, it becomes possible, and we can do all kinds of extraordinary things.
If you knew who walked beside you at all times, on the path that you have chosen, you could never experience fear or doubt again.
The greatest evil that can befall man is that he should come to think ill of himself.
Usability is like love. You have to care, you have to listen, and you have to be willing to change. Youβll make mistakes along the way, but thatβs where growth and forgiveness come in.
paranoia is just a heightened sense of awareness
If you spend your life trying to please people or letting them control you, you may make them happy, but you'll miss your destiny.
I'm often guilty of overcooking and too much arrangement and throwing too much at it. But I think as I get older, I'm learning better when to be empty and when to be full.
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