Silence is true wisdom’s best reply.

The saying proposes that wisdom is not merely the ability to speak well, but the ability to refrain from speaking when speech would be futile, inflammatory, or self-revealing. “Silence” here functions as an ethical and strategic discipline: the wise person recognizes when argument cannot persuade, when emotions are too hot for reason, or when words would degrade truth into contention. It also implies that wisdom’s “reply” need not be verbal; composure, patience, and refusal to escalate can be a more truthful response than rhetoric. In a broader tragic sense, it gestures toward the limits of language—how speech can mislead, harden positions, or invite retaliation—whereas silence can preserve dignity and judgment.