If you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all.
One story sounds good until another is told
It is absurd to ape our betters.
Persuasion is better than force.
An oak and a reed were arguing about their strength. When a strong wind came up, the reed avoided being uprooted by bending and leaning with the gusts of wind. But the oak stood firm and was torn up by the roots.
In union there is strength.