Speech was given to man to conceal his thoughts.

Quote of the Week 41

"Speech was given to man to conceal his thoughts."
― Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord



Triggered by Harald Schmidt's use of Talleyrand's quote in a TV discussion earlier this summer.
 
Most likely a variation of a quote by Voltaire:

"Men use thought only to justify their wrong doings, and employ speech only to conceal their thoughts."
 
"Die Menschen gebrauchen ihren Verstand nur, um ihr Unrecht zu rechtfertigen, und ihre Sprache allein, um ihre Gedanken zu verbergen."

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