Speaking with Restraint
The wise person speaks thoughtfully and at the right moment. Hasty or excessive speech leads to trouble, while measured words carry power.
The wise person speaks thoughtfully and at the right moment. Hasty or excessive speech leads to trouble, while measured words carry power.
Guard your speech more than your wealth. Be restrained in your words, for the tongue is a sword.
Instructions of Ptahhotep
Written about in
- What ancient Egypt says about what to say and what to leave unsaid
The tongue is called a sword in the same breath that tells you to guard your words more closely than your property. Restraint here is not shyness; it is the handling of a weapon you already carry.