My grandpa used to say it was better to remain silent and be
thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt. I suspect it was something
he memorized in grade school, along with “How We Tried to Whip the Teacher” by
Eugene Hall and a few of Edgar A. Guest’s poems. I’ve tried to find a source
for his adage, but while it’s frequently attributed to famous wits like Mark
Twain and Abraham Lincoln, the origin is still murky. It may have some connection
with Proverbs 17:28, which says (in the King James version) “Even a fool, when
he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: And he that shutteth his lips is
esteemed a man of understanding.” As today is April Fool’s Day, I’m sure you’ll
see a lot of hoaxes and misinformation on the Internet masquerading as news.
Please take it all with a grain of salt, and avoid resharing without
verification. Just like every other day.
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