WIST Quotations

Martin, Judith -- “Miss Manners,” syndicated column (2014-12-19)

Dave — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 16:35:50 +0000

Dishonesty is not the only alternative to honesty. There is also the highly underrated virtue of shutting up.

Judith Martin (b. 1938) American author, journalist, etiquette expert [a.k.a. Miss Manners]
“Miss Manners,” syndicated column (2014-12-19)
(Source)

Collected in Minding Miss Manners: In an Era of Fake Etiquette (2020), though with a slight rephrasing:

The only alternative to honesty is not dishonesty. There is also the highly underrated virtue of shutting up.

Levi, Primo -- The Drowned and the Saved, ch. 8 “Letters from Germans” (1986) [tr. Rosenthal (1888)]

Dave — Thu, 31 Jul 2014 12:39:16 +0000

The true crime, the collective, general crime of almost all Germans of that time was that of lacking the courage to speak.

Primo Levi (1919-1987) Italian Jewish chemist and writer
The Drowned and the Saved, ch. 8 “Letters from Germans” (1986) [tr. Rosenthal (1888)]
(Source)

Regarding the Third Reich and the Holocaust.

Franklin, Benjamin -- Poor Richard (1741 ed.)

Dave — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 13:22:38 +0000

If you would keep your Secret from an enemy, tell it not to a friend.

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) American statesman, scientist, philosopher, aphorist
Poor Richard (1741 ed.)
(Source)

Martin, Judith -- (Attributed)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

Allowing an unimportant mistake to pass without a comment is a wonderful social grace […] Children who have the habit of constantly correcting should be stopped before they grow up to drive spouses and everyone else crazy by interrupting stories to say, “No, dear — it was Tuesday, not Wednesday.”

Judith Martin (b. 1938) American author, journalist, etiquette expert [a.k.a. Miss Manners]
(Attributed)

Widely attributed to Martin, but I am unable to find an original source.