An Injuring Silence

“But what sort of a thing is it that we sometimes think that we are patient because, when we are aroused, we disdain to respond but mock our irritated brothers by a bitter silence or by a derisory movement or gesture in such a way that we provoke them to anger more by our taciturn behavior than we would have been able to incite them by passionate abuse, in this respect considering ourselves utterly blameless before God, since we have voiced nothing that could brand or condemn us according to the judgment of
human beings?  As if it were words alone and not the will in particular that is declared guilty in the sight of God, and just the sinful deed and not also the wish and the intention that should be considered wrong, and only what each person has done and not also what he wanted to do that should be submitted to judgment.
...

Often a feigned patience arouses a still more bitter wrath than does a word, and a spiteful silence surpasses the harshest verbal abuse, and the wounds of enemies are more easily borne than the sly compliments of a mocker.” - Abba Joseph (16.18.1, 4)

On a side note this Abba Joseph of Conference 16 and 17 is the same father mentioned in The Sayings of the Desert Fathers here:

"Abba Lot went to see Abba Joseph and said: 'Abba, as much as I am able I practice a small rule, a little fasting, some prayer and meditation, and remain quiet, and as much as possible I keep my thought clean. What else should I do?' Then the old man stood up and stretched out his hands toward heaven, and his fingers became like ten torches of flame. And he said: 'If you wish, you can become all flame.'"

My wife wanted me to share this quote for this kind of silence needs to be avoided.  Lord, have mercy!