American author Ryan Holiday, as a leading purveyor of the principles of modern stoicism, writes with uncommon clarity and purpose. Adhering to the Stoic virtue of temperance, his style is precise and concise, unadorned by any excess words or sentiments.

In his 2022 book Discipline is Destiny: The Power of Self-Control, Holiday advocates for the principle that ‘Silence is Strength’. On the matter of self-expression, Stoic philosophy warns against the social tendency to express every thought we have to others. In the modern, public, digital age of social media, it’s more crucial now than ever to exercise control over what we say. It’s not that we shouldn’t speak our minds when it matters, but that we should endeavour to speak our minds only when it matters—a more moderate practice.

Holiday writes:

️️️It’s a balance. While each of us needs to cultivate the courage to speak up and speak the truth, we also need to develop the self-discipline to know when to stay focused and when to shut up (and how to measure what we do say with the utmost economy).

You don’t have to verbalize every thought. You don’t have to always give your opinion—especially when it’s not solicited. Just because there is a pause doesn’t mean you have to fill it. Just because everyone else is talking doesn’t mean you have to jump in. […]

To be imprecise with language, to fall prey to what they now call ‘semantic creep’—exaggerating and misusing important words until they have no meaning—this is the mark of not just a sloppy thinker but a bad temperament. When you talk, it should matter. When you say something, it should mean something. […]

Let them wish you talked more. Let them wonder what you’re thinking. Let the words you speak carry extra weight precisely because they are rare.

You can answer the question with, ‘I don’t know.’ You can ignore the insult. You can decline the invitation. You can decide not to explain your reasons. You can allow for a pause. You can put it down in your journal instead. You can listen. You can sit with the silence. You can let your actions do the talking.