Silentium est signum sapientiae et loquacitas est signum stultitiae.
(Petrus Alphonsus, Disciplina Clericalis, 2)

Silence is a sign of wisdom, and talkativness is a sign of stupidity.

(pron = see-LEHN-tee-oom ehst SIG-noom sah-pee-EN-tee-ai eht loh-KWAH-kee-tahs
ehst SIG-noom stool-TIH-tee-ai)

Comment: If I say much here, I'm just stupid! Surely this is another case of
balance. Silence can be deadly if danger is afoot and I say nothing. Silence
can be cruel if another suffers and my words would alleviate the suffering.
Silence can be a sign of ignorance if I cannot respond because of what I do not
know.

Likewise the opposite. Speaking is so often in our culture just noise that
drowns out the wisdom that would surface if we would be quiet, turn off the
t.v., be still, stop reading, and listen.

My own sense is that there is a rhythm of silence and speaking that we can fall
into with enough practice.