Don’t Say If It’s Not Worth Saying
Welcome back to Mid-Week Meditations , Lifehacker’s weekly dive into the pool of stoic wisdom and how you can use its waters to meditate and improve your life.
This week’s entries come from the Roman politician Cato the Younger , known for his opponents to Emperor Julius Caesar. These quotes are not taken from Cato’s personal writings, but from Plutarch , a famous biographer who spent time with Cato.
“I’ll start talking when I have something that’s better not to talk about.” – Cato the Younger, Life of Plutarch
This is well summed up later in the medieval Latin text Distichs of Cato , which is believed to be largely based on the teachings of Cato the Younger:
“The main virtue: be silent; who knows how to keep silent is close to God. ” – Dionysius Cato
What does it mean
Many of us tend to say whatever we think and feel, but in many situations this is unreasonable. Words can do a lot of good, but they can also hurt, anger, or, in fact, bury yourself in a hole. Sometimes it’s best to say nothing at all.
Cato also said:
“Consider in silence everything that is said: speech both hides and reveals the inner soul of a person.” – Cato the Younger, Life of Plutarch
Speech was conceived by humans as a way of openly communicating with each other, but it is often used as a tool for betrayal and deception. If you learn to be silent and speak only what is necessary and true, you will never fall out of virtue.
What to take from there
If it’s not clear yet, silence is gold. This is not to say that you shouldn’t stand up for what you think is right, but in the long run you will be better off only talking about the things that really matter to you. The words “just because” are of little use, especially in volatile environments. Every word you utter can harm you or be used against you.
Before you speak, ask yourself: “Should we talk about this?” If not, be quiet and focus on yourself. When in doubt, follow the advice of your good friend Thumper:if you can’t say something good, don’t say anything at all .
You can read more about Cato the Younger in the lives of Plutarch here .