One of the lessons of history is that nothing is often a good thing to do and always a clever thing to say.

Durant frames a paradoxical “lesson of history”: restraint can be both morally prudent and rhetorically effective. In public life, crises often tempt leaders to act simply to appear decisive; Durant suggests that history repeatedly shows the opposite—inaction or delay may avert worse outcomes when knowledge is incomplete or passions are inflamed. At the same time, saying “nothing” can be politically “clever”: silence avoids commitments, preserves flexibility, and prevents words from escalating conflict. The line is wry rather than purely cynical, implying that wisdom sometimes lies in recognizing the limits of action and speech, especially amid uncertainty.