When you have nothing to say, say nothing; a weak defense strengthens your opponent, and silence is less injurious than a bad reply." - Meaning and context.">
Vol. I; CLXXXIII
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When you have nothing to say, say nothing; a weak defense strengthens your opponent, and silence is less injurious than a bad reply.

— Charles Caleb Colton

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "When you have nothing to say, say nothing; a weak defense strengthens your opponent, and silence is less injurious than a bad reply." in the context of "Vol. I; CLXXXIII" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Source: Wikiquote: "Charles Caleb Colton" (Quotes, Lacon (1820): Lacon, Or, Many Things in Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think (Vol. I, 1820; Vol. II, 1822; corrected one volume edition, 1836) Full text online at Archive.org, Volume 1) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app

About Charles Caleb Colton

Charles Caleb Colton (baptized 11 December 1777 - 28 April 1832) was a British author, clergyman, and art collector.