• home
  • about
    • emotional intelligence at work
    • GradStart (graduate performance at work)
    • Jeremy Marchant
    • this website
  • how we help
    • people
    • teams
    • businesses
    • other organisations
  • what’s the problem?
  • blog and diversions
    • Jeremy Marchant’s blog
    • newsletters
    • quotations
    • music
    • diverting videos
  • contact
emotional intelligence at work
jeremy@emotionalintelligenceatwork.com | 01453 764 615
Intelligence at Work Linkedin Link Intelligence at Work Twitter Link Intelligence at Work Youtube Link
  • essential
    • relationships at work
    • leadership
    • communication
    • emotional intelligence
  • people
    • leadership
    • personal growth
    • managing people
    • successful teams
    • conflict resolution
    • employability
  • business
    • networking and advocacy
    • business growth and change
    • customer service
    • employability
  • stories
    • work stories
    • more stories
  • short pieces
  • long reads
  • videos
    • Jeremy Marchant’s videos
    • Jeremy Marchant’s videos
    • emotionally intelligent videos

On silence

…nine quietly effective quotations

73070_7209

To restore silence is the role of objects.

Samuel Beckett . 1906-1989 . Irish novelist, playwright, poet . Molloy

Poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese.

GK Chesterton . 1874-1936 . English writer . Alarms and discursions

For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed.

Kahlil Gibran . 1883-1931 . Lebanese-American artist, poet and writer . The prophet

Silence is argument carried out by other means.

Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara . 1928-1967 . Argentine revolutionary, guerrilla leader and military theorist . quoted, Secrets to a richer life (Guile, 2005)

There were grammatical errors even in his silence.

Stanisŀaw Lec . 1909-1966 . Polish poet and aphorist . Unkempt thoughts

Le silence eternel des ces espaces infinis m’effraie
The eternal silence of these infinite spaces terrifies me.

Blaise Pascal . 1623-1662 . French mathematician, logician and theologian . Pensées

The rest is silence.

William Shakespeare . 1564-1616 . English poet and playwright . Hamlet, V ii

But my words like silent raindrops fell, and echoed in the wells of silence.

Paul Simon . 1941- . American singer-songwriter . song, The sound of silence

A painter paints his pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence. We provide the music, and you provide the silence.

Leopold Stokowski . 1882-1977 . British-born orchestral conductor . address to audience, Carnegie Hall . quoted in The New York times

selection copyright © 2014 Jeremy Marchant . uploaded 11 june 2014 . updated 17 september 2017 . image:  Free images

Further reading

  • Being William ShakespeareBeing William Shakespeare
  • Being a leader and being ‘in charge’Being a leader and being ‘in charge’
  • Point and shootPoint and shoot
  • Stop selling!—1: Two barrelsStop selling!—1: Two barrels
  • How to ask open questions confidentlyHow to ask open questions confidently
  • A short piece about intentionA short piece about intention
  • Why it’s rarely worth ‘going the extra mile’Why it’s rarely worth ‘going the extra mile’
  • Take it easyTake it easy
  • Turkey and sproutsTurkey and sprouts
  • On politics and politicians—2On politics and politicians—2