Silence should be so respected that the words which break it must leave the world the better for their birth.

From Christmas Humphreys’ Buddhism: An Introduction and Guide, Third Edition, Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1962 (first published in 1951), p. 110.

Addendum (September 28, 2015)

According to many a Buddhist treatise, the subject of right speech has four aspects. In particular, it entails abstinence from false speech, such as lying; slanderous speech, which divides people; harsh speech, which is angry or bitter; and idle chatter, such as gossip. It would be interesting to classify my writings in accordance with these four aspects of right speech. False speech is the least of my problems, I am reasonably sure. In fact, I cannot think of a single piece of my writing that entails lying in any of its forms. Slanderous speech is another bag of worms, though. Although I am not about dividing people, I do occasionally point my finger at such divisions, which cannot but deepen and sharpen them in turn. Harsh speech is perhaps my greatest problem. Often enough, I let my anger and bitterness rip through my writings. Even more, I do it with palpable pleasure. As for idle chatter, I do engage in it from time to time, but it is still rather rare in my writings. At any rate, I ought to pay more attention to right speech from now on. My writings are my heart and soul, after all.