A conservative, I take it, is a man who despises vulgarity; but the argument which is concerned exclusively with calculations of success, and is based on blindness to the nobility of the effort, is vulgar.
Leo StraussRead
The silence of a wise man is always meaningful.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A wise person's silence conveys deep significance and understanding.
This quote by Leo Strauss highlights that when a wise individual chooses to remain silent, it often carries weight and intent. Their silence is not merely the absence of words; instead, it reflects their thoughtful consideration, the importance of the situation, or a deliberate choice to allow others to reflect or to avoid speaking frivolously.
Themes
SilenceWisdomMeaningfulThoughtfulnessReflection
In practice
Example use cases
During a meeting where important decisions are made, one might say, 'As Leo Strauss noted, the silence of a wise man is always meaningful' to emphasize the importance of careful consideration.
More from Leo Strauss
All quotes βNo bloody or unbloody change of society can eradicate the evil in man: as long as there will be men, there will be malice, envy and hatred, and hence there cannot be a society which does not have to employ coercive restraint.
Leo StraussRead
If the highest things are unknowable, then the highest capacity or virtue of man cannot be theoretical wisdom.
Leo StraussRead
The Jewish people and their fate are the living witness for the absence of redemption. This, one could say, is the meaning of the chosen people; the Jews are chosen to prove the absence of redemption.
Leo StraussRead
Similar quotes
But then, look at me. My brain is incorrectly formed, and I'm shaped like a tube. Plus, I'm an alcoholic, a "survivor" of childhood sexual abuse, was raised in a cult and have no education. So, really, if you think about it, the only thing that separates me from the guy with the stinky foot and no teeth is a book deal and some cologne.
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If something's not working, it's wonderful to have a reader you can trust to say, 'Actually, you've gone off the deep end here'.
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The doctrines of grace humble man without degrading him and exalt him without inflating him.
Charles HodgeRead
Half of my library are old books because I like seeing how people thought about their world at their time. So that I don't get bigheaded about something we just discovered and I can be humble about where we might go next. Because you can see who got stuff right and most of the people who got stuff wrong.
Neil Degrasse TysonRead
Ignorance and error are necessary to life, like bread and water.
Anatole FranceRead
We should take care not to make the intellect our goal; it has, of course, powerful muscles, but no personality.
Albert EinsteinRead