The Old Ways

Egyptian · Maxims of Ptahhotep · 20 of 23

On Speech

Battiscombe Gunn, 1906

If thou art powerful, inspire respect through knowledge, through calmness of speech, and through the correctness of thy statements. Speak not to cause astonishment, but be deliberate. The hasty man stumbles; the deliberate man walks safely. Be a craftsman in speech, for the tongue is mighty, and good words are rarer and more precious than any gemstone.