“There is as much wisdom in listening as there is in speaking - and that goes for all relationships, not just romantic ones.”

“Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens”

“Also, one of the simplest paths to deep change is for the less powerful to speak as much as they listen, and for the more powerful to listen as much as they speak.”

“It is the province of knowledge to speak and it is the privilege of wisdom to listen.”

“Much wisdom often goes with fewer words.”

“Every relationship is transactional, whether it is a business relationship, a romantic relationship, a political relationship, a friendship, or a familial relationship.”

“Society speaks and all men listen, mountains speak and wise men listen.”

“We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.”

“When we live in a society where people genuinely feel that what matters most is the romantic partnership, we have learned that other people will value and prioritize a romantic partner above all other relationships. Therefore, you are only genuinely secure and only have leverage for getting your needs met in a relationship, if you are that person’s romantic partner.”

“We all have work to do, hard work, challenging work, and it will take time. We all need to talk and we all need to listen, not just about easy things, but about hard things, too. Relationships are hard. Relationships require work. So let’s begin that work. It is time to start seeing one another for who and what we really are. Peace, security, and understanding are worth the effort. Thank you for listening to me today.”