Quotes about talking
page 7

“Never talk rich, never talk poor, never talk money.”

Clementine Churchill (1885–1977) wife of Sir Winston Churchill and a life peeress in her own right

Clementine Churchill, in Mary Soames, Clementine Churchill: The Biography of a Marriage (1979)

“My mother said I was a weird child. I had about 15 imaginary friends and talked to myself, a lot. I still do sometimes - I love the power of pretend. Now I channel all those voices into my characters. It's probably a saner outlet.”

Katori Hall (1981) American playwright

On gravitating towards the dramatic arts even at an early age in “Katori Hall: 'I've had two hours sleep!'” https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2010/mar/23/katori-hall-the-mountaintop-review in The Guardian (2010 Mar 23)

Love, Making love

“Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they would like to say something. As empty vessels make the loudest sounds, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”

Plato (-427–-347 BC) Classical Greek philosopher

Often attributed to Plato, it cannot be found in any of his writings ( see this http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=796). The quote is attributed to Plato in A Dictionary of Thoughts: Being a Cyclopedia of Laconic Quotations from the Best Authors of the World, Both Ancient and Modern (page 560) by Tryon Edwards. <br class="br">Misattributed

Men, Making love, Fools

“When someone goes to the doctor and says, "I hear a voice in my head," he or she will most likely be sent to a psychiatrist. The fact is that, in a very similar way, virtually everyone hears a voice, or several voices, in their head all the time: the involuntary thought processes that you don't realize you have the power to stop. Continuous monologues or dialogues. You have probably come across "mad" people in the street incessantly talking or muttering to themselves. Well, that's not much different from what you and all other "normal" people do, except that you don't do it out loud. The voice comments, speculates, judges, compares, complains, likes, dislikes, and so on. The voice isn't necessarily relevant to the situation you find yourself in at the time; it may be reviving the recent or distant past or rehearsing or imagining possible future situations. Here it often imagines things going wrong and negative outcomes; this is called worry.”

Eckhart Tolle book The Power of Now

The Power of Now (1997) p. 16

People, Way, Imagination, Distant

“I have little use for the past and rarely think about it; however, I would briefly like to tell you how I came to be a spiritual teacher and how this book came into existence. Until my thirtieth year, I lived in a state of almost continuous anxiety interspersed with periods of suicidal depression. It feels now as if I am talking about some past lifetime or somebody else's life.”

Eckhart Tolle book The Power of Now

Source: The Power of Now (1997) - Introduction

Life, Books, Feeling, Thinking

“Where speculation ends — in real life — there real, positive science begins: the representation of the practical activity, of the practical process of development of men. Empty talk about consciousness ceases, and real knowledge has to take place. When reality is depicted, philosophy as an independent branch of activity loses its medium of existence. At the best its place can only be taken by a summing-up of the most general results, abstractions which arise from the observation of the historical development of men. Viewed apart from real history, these abstractions have in themselves no value whatsoever. They can only serve to facilitate the arrangement of historical material, to indicate the sequence of its separate strata. But they by no means afford a recipe or schema, as does philosophy, for neatly trimming the epochs of history. On the contrary, our difficulties begin only when we set about the observation and the arrangement — the real depiction — of our historical material, whether of a past epoch or of the present.”

Karl Marx book The German Ideology

Source: The German Ideology (1845-1846), Vol. I, Part 1, [The Materialist Conception of History].

Life, Men, History, Knowledge

“I'm known as a survivor now, I hope so, for the jail thing, bullets and everything, controversies and everything, I hope so. And I want to be in the future known as somebody. You know I want people to be talking about me like you know: "remember when he was real bad, remember when Tupac was real bad". You know what I mean, they do that about a lot of actors now, like John Travolta I read stories like "remember you were wild."”

Tupac Shakur (1971–1996) rapper and actor

And all these other people, and now they're like sweet hearts. We all should get that chance, I just want my chance.
1990s, MTV interview with Tabitha Soren (1995)

Bad luck, People, Hope, Reading

“The first of these blessed charlatans to talk about God or religion will be condemned to being jeered at, scoffed at, covered with mud at all crossroads of the major French towns. If that scoundrel breaks that same law a second time, he will be locked away in an eternal prison. Let the most insulting blasphemies, the most atheistic writings be fully authorized, so that we may completely extirpate those horrifying toys of our childhoods from human hearts and memories. Let us hold a contest to find at last the text most capable of Enlightening Europeans about such a major subject; and let a substantial prize be established by the Nation as recompense for the man who, having said and proved everything about his theme, will leave his compatriots only a sickle to shatter all these phantoms and a straightforward heart to detest them.”

Marquis de Sade Philosophy in the Bedroom

Yet Another Effort, Frenchmen, If You Would Become Republicans
Philosophy in the Bedroom (1795)

God, Religion, Law, Memory

“He who talks more is sooner exhausted.”

Laozi (-604) semi-legendary Chinese figure, attributed to the 6th century, regarded as the author of the Tao Te Ching and fou…

“If you hate gossip or people talking about you behind your back, then politics isn't for you.”

Mwanandeke Kindembo (1996) Congolese author

Hate, People

“I always had an interest in the story of everything. A little bit of an existential crisis always helps when you’re looking for a sea change. If I know anything, it’s that I never learned anything while I was talking.”

Robert Downey Jr. (1965) American actor

Source: "Robert Downey Jr. on Being an Entrepreneur: 'I Never Learned Anything While I Was Talking'" https://www.morningbrew.com/daily/stories/2021/04/02/robert-downey-jr-talks-businessman-irl (2 April 2021)

Learning, Change, Help, Sea

“I'm not a big guy. I'm not a menacing guy. I'm not an intimidating guy. I may look that way, but just spend two seconds talking to me, and you know that's not who I am - not as a person, as a character. It's not who I intend to be.”

Dave Bautista (1969) American actor and professional wrestler

unsourced

Way, Guy, Personality

“Demons are wary of talking and must be forced to speak. When demons are voluntarily chatty it's a trick to distract the exorcist. We must never ask useless questions out of curiosity. We but must interrogate with care. We always begin by asking for the demon's name.”

Gabriele Amorth (1925–2016) Italian Roman Catholic priest and exorcist

Source: "An Interview With Fr Gabriele Amorth - The Church's Leading Exorcist" (2001)

Question

“I speak with the Devil every day. I talk to him in Latin. He answers in Italian. I have been wrestling with him, day in day out, for 14 years.”

Gabriele Amorth (1925–2016) Italian Roman Catholic priest and exorcist

Source: "An Interview With Fr Gabriele Amorth - The Church's Leading Exorcist" (2001)

“Sometimes I take all the shine
Talk like I drank all the wine
Years ahead but way behind
I'm on one, two, three, four, five
No half-truths, just naked minds
Caught between space and time
This not what they had in mind
But maybe someday...”

Kanye West (1977) American rapper, singer and songwriter

Ghost Town
Lyrics, Ye (2018)

Truth, Way, Wine, Time

“God show me the way, because the Devil's trying to break me down
The only thing that I pray is that my feet don't fail me now
And I don't think there's nothing I can do now to right my wrongs
I wanna talk to God, but I'm afraid 'cause we ain't spoke in so long.”

Kanye West (1977) American rapper, singer and songwriter

Jesus Walks
Lyrics, The College Dropout (2004)

God, Way, Thinking

“God gave man two ears and one tongue so we could listen twice as much as we talk.”

Faisal of Saudi Arabia (1906–1975) King of Saudi Arabia

As per an article published in the New York Times in 1975, this was King Faisal's favorite quote. https://www.nytimes.com/1975/03/26/archives/faisal-rich-and-powerful-led-saudis-into-20th-century-and-to-arab.html

God

“The heart is the bridge between the mind and the soul. First get out of your mind and into your heart space. From there it is a quick jump into your soul. When you are in your heart space with another, that is when you can have a real soul talk. When you are in your heart space with yourself, that is when you can experience connecting with your soul at a very deep level. That is when you can experience communion with God.”

Neale Donald Walsch (1943) American writer

God, Soul, Heart

“I believe in the discipline of silence, and could talk for hours about it.”

George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish playwright

Silence

“Do not hesitate to talk and mingle with the madrileños.”

Ana Botella (1953) Spanish politician

“Many people are good at talking about what they are doing, but in fact do little. Others do a lot but don't talk about it; they are the ones who make a community live.”

Jean Vanier (1928–2019) Canadian humanitarian

From books
Source: Jean Vanier, Community And Growth, 1979

People, Communication

“They're talking about things of which they don't have the slightest understanding, anyway. It's only because of their stupidity that they're able to be so sure of themselves.”

Franz Kafka book The Trial

Source: The Trial (1920), Ch. 1

Stupidity, Understanding

“Talk to me about sadness. I talk about it too much in my own head but I never mind others talking about it either; I occasionally feel like I tremendously need others to talk about it as well.”

Anne Sexton (1928–1974) poet from the United States

Source: Anne Sexton: A Self-Portrait in Letters

Sadness, Feeling

“it is nice that nobody writes as they talk and that the printed language is different from the spoken otherwise you could not lose yourself in books and of course you do you completely do.”

Gertrude Stein (1874–1946) American art collector and experimental writer of novels, poetry and plays

Books

“Normally, small talk is enough for me to form an opinion of someone. I make quick judgments, often completely wrong, and then stick by them rigidly.”

Alex Garland (1970) English novelist, screenwriter, film producer and director

“When did I realize I was God? Well, I was praying and I suddenly realized I was talking to myself.”

Peter O'Toole (1932–2013) Irish film and stage actor

God

“Rachel could see Corinne talking to Jason, but they were too far ahead to hear. Jason leaned closer to answer Corinne quietly. She laughed.”

Brandon Mull (1974) American fiction writer

“Writing is hard…. Coal mining is harder. Do you think miners stand around all day talking about how hard it is to mine for coal? They do not. They simply dig.”

Cheryl Strayed book Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar

Source: Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar

Thinking

“No matter how calmly you try to referee, parenting will eventually produce bizarre behavior, and I'm not talking about the kids. Their behavior is always normal.”

Bill Cosby (1937) American actor, comedian, author, producer, musician, activist

Behavior, Parent

“But there's a juicy artery in your groin," he said after a pause to regroup, his voice as slithery as a snake on a slide.
"Don't you talk dirty," I told him. "I won't listen to that.”

Charlaine Harris book Dead Until Dark

Source: Dead Until Dark

“I would have given anything to keep her little. They outgrow us so much faster than we outgrow them.
Brian Fitzgerald, talking about his children.”

Jodi Picoult My Sister's Keeper

Variant: Goldfish get big enough only for the bowl you put them in. Bonsai trees twist in miniature. I would have given anything to keep her little. They outgrow us so much faster than we outgrow them.
Source: My Sister's Keeper

Children, For Parents

“Live now. When you are eating, eat. When you are loving, love. when you are talking with someone, talk. When you are looking at a flower, look. Catch the beauty of the moment!”

Leo Buscaglia (1924–1998) Motivational speaker, writer

Love, Beauty, Flowers

“If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more.”

Jane Austen book Emma

Source: Emma

Love, Wedding, For Her, For Him

“I've given guys blow jobs just because I've run out of things to talk about.'
Oh, Rae. Who hasn't”

Anne Lamott (1954) Novelist, essayist, memoirist, activist

Source: Crooked Little Heart

Guy

“When I was born I was so surprised I didn't talk for a year and a half.”

Irène Némirovsky (1903–1942) French novelist who died at the age of 39 in Auschwitz

“So this is what it's about? This is your mature response to go off into the mountains rather than talking about it and have s'mores with a gnome and a mountain man."
"Yep"
"What's your plan for tomorrow? Brunch with a unicorn?”

Ilona Andrews American husband-and-wife novelist duo

Source: Magic Rises

Mountain

“I, had an excellent instructor. One that you currently have locked up. If you want to talk about skills going to waste, then go look in your own jail.”

Richelle Mead book Spirit Bound

Source: Spirit Bound

“The thread of will-they-or-won't-they was the real driver of every word and glance and shift of body.

So… this was a date, Blay thought. A subtextual negotiation slipcovered in talk of books read and music enjoyed.”

Jessica Bird (1969) U.S. novelist

Source: Lover Mine

Books, Music, Reading

“Some people without brains do an awful lot of talking, don't you think?”

L. Frank Baum book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Source: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

People, Thinking

“I would rather my enemy's sword pierce my heart then my friend's dagger stab me in the back." Faustus - Don't Talk Back To Your Vampire”

Michele Bardsley (1970) American writer

Heart

“You'll lose it, if you talk about it”

Ernest Hemingway book The Sun Also Rises

Source: The Sun Also Rises

“The thing about talking swords…it’s hard to tell when they’re kidding. They have no facial expressions. Or faces.”

Rick Riordan book The Sword of Summer

Source: The Sword of Summer

“Americans no longer talk to each other, they entertain each other. They do not exchange ideas, they exchange images. They do not argue with propositions; they argue with good looks, celebrities and commercials.”

Neil Postman (1931–2003) American writer and academic

Source: Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business

Idea

“I've forgotten the words with which to tell you. I knew them once, but I've forgotten them, and now I'm talking to you without them.”

Marguerite Duras book Emily L.

Source: Emily L.

“No,’ Nico said. ‘Getting a second life is one thing. Making it a better life, that’s the trick.’ As soon as he said it, Nico realized he could’ve been talking about himself. He decided not to bring that up.”

Rick Riordan book The Blood of Olympus

Source: The Blood of Olympus

Life

“The key to a good life is this: If you're not going to talk about something during the last hour of your life, then don't make it a top priority during your lifetime.”

Richard Carlson (1961–2006) Author, psychotherapist and motivational speaker

Life

“So the whole war is because we can't talk to each other.”

Orson Scott Card book Ender's Game

Source: Ender's Game

War

“People talk too much. Humans aren't descended from monkeys. They come from parrots.”

Carlos Ruiz Zafón book The Shadow of the Wind

Source: The Shadow of the Wind

People

“Remember if people talk behind your back, it only means you are two steps ahead.”

Fannie Flagg book Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe

Source: Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe

People

“I wonder how long it would take for anyone to notice if I just stopped talking.”

Laurie Halse Anderson Speak

Source: Speak

“Anna spoke not only naturally and intelligently, but intelligently and casually, without attaching any value to her own thoughts, yet giving great value to the thoughts of the one she was talking to.”

Leo Tolstoy book Anna Karenina

Source: Anna Karenina

Intelligence, Nature

“If you talk bad about country music, it's like saying bad things about my momma. Them's fightin' words”

Dolly Parton (1946) American singer-songwriter and actress

Music, Country

“one should always talk well about oneself! The word spreads around and in the end, noone remembers where it started”

Jean Cocteau (1889–1963) French poet, novelist, dramatist, designer, boxing manager and filmmaker

“Brother,” Artemis chided. “You do not help my Hunters. You do not look at, talk to, or flirt with my Hunters. And you do not call them sweetheart.”

Rick Riordan book The Titan's Curse

Source: The Titan's Curse

Help

“I want to talk to him. I want to ask him about that girl and if he loved her and still misses her.”

Markus Zusak (1975) Australian author

Source: I Am the Messenger

Love, Girl

“Most people don’t know how to appreciate the silence. They can’t help talking.”

Nicholas Sparks book The Lucky One

Source: The Lucky One

People, Silence, Help

“We must talk about poverty, because people insulated by their own comfort lose sight of it.”

Dorothy Day (1897–1980) Social activist

People

“I hate to hear you talk about all women as if they were fine ladies instead of rational creatures. None of us want to be in calm waters all our lives.”

Jane Austen book Persuasion

Variant: But I hate to hear you talking so like a fine gentleman, and as if women were all fine ladies, instead of rational creatures. We none of us expect to be in smooth water all our days.
Source: Persuasion

Women, Hate, Water, For women

“Actually that’s my secret — I can’t even talk about you to anybody because I don’t want any more people to know how wonderful you are.”

F. Scott Fitzgerald book Tender Is the Night

Source: Tender Is the Night

People, Secret

“Most people talk when they have nothing to say. I’m not talking because I have too much to say. None of which I’d want you to hear.”

Megan McCafferty (1973) American novelist

Source: Charmed Thirds

People

“I knew people were talking, but I wasn't listening. I wasn't interested in anything anyone had to say.”

Michael Thomas Ford (1968) American writer

Source: Suicide Notes

People

“Because that's what you do, you stand up for your best friend. And you eat lunch with him and talk with him and share secrets and laugh a lot and go places and do stuff, and when you wake up in the morning, he's the first person you think of.”

Jerry Spinelli book Loser

Source: Loser

Secret, Thinking, Personality

“If you can talk brilliantly about a problem, it can create the consoling illusion that it has been mastered.”

Stanley Kubrick (1928–1999) American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and editor

Problem

“Normally writers do not talk much, because they are saving their conversations for the readers of their book-
those invisible listeners with whom we wish to strike a sympathetic chord.”

Ruskin Bond (1934) British Indian writer

Books

“Last time I talked to her she didn't sound like herself. She's depressed. It's awful what happens when people run out of money. They start thinking they're no good.”

Barbara Kingsolver Pigs in Heaven

Source: Pigs in Heaven

Money, People, Thinking, Time

“Eric turned to me, kissed me on the lips very lightly, and looked at my face for a long moment. “He’ll spare you,” Eric said, and I understood he wasn’t really talking to me but to himself. “You’re too unique to waste.”
And then he opened the door.”

Charlaine Harris book From Dead to Worse

Source: From Dead to Worse

Kiss

“If you tell people you talk to God, they'll think you're religious, but if you say God talks to you, it's ten to one they'll think you're crazy.”

Robert Fulghum (1937) American writer

Source: Maybe, Maybe Not

God, People, Thinking

“[M]ost of our daily news is inert, consisting of information that gives us something to talk about but cannot lead to any meaningful action. (68).”

Neil Postman (1931–2003) American writer and academic

Source: Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business

“I had a good-talking candle last night in my bedroom. I was very tired but I wanted somebody to be with me, so I lit a candle and listened to its comfortable voice of light until I was asleep.”

Richard Brautigan (1935–1984) American novelist, poet, and short story writer

Light, Night

“The coffee arrives, and we backslide into what lawyers do best---talking about other lawyers.”

John Grisham book The Rainmaker

Source: The Rainmaker

Coffee

“If you want to communicate an idea to a man's brain, you must talk to him through his pecker. It's like an ear horn, y'all.”

Kresley Cole American writer

Variant: If you want to communicate an idea to a man's brain, talk to him through his pecker. It's like an ear horn, y'all.
Source: Lothaire

Communication, Idea

“I don't remember ever feeling lonely; in fact, on the rare occasions when I met other children I found their games and their talk far less interesting than the adventures and dialogues I read in my books.”

Alberto Manguel (1948) writer

Source: A History of Reading

Children, Books, Feeling, Game

“He liked to read with the silence and the golden color of the whiskey as his companions. He liked food, people, talk, but reading was an inexhaustible pleasure. What the joys of music were to others, words on a page were to him.”

James Salter (1925–2015) American novelist and short-story writer

Source: All That Is

People, Pleasure, Food, Music

“But I wondered if all this kissing was a bad habit with him and me. The thing we did with our mouths instead of talking.”

Gabrielle Zevin (1977) American writer

Kiss

“Social scientists sometimes talk about the concept of "identity". It is the idea that you have a particular vision of the kind of person you are, and you feel awful when you do things that are out of line with that vision.”

Steven D. Levitt (1967) American economist

Source: Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything

Feeling, Idea, Personality

“It was so weird, because usually I was totally nervous talking to guys. But Eli was different. He made me want to say more, not less. Which was maybe not a good thing.”

Sarah Dessen book Along for the Ride

Source: Along for the Ride

Guy

“Would you please please please please please please please stop talking?”

Ernest Hemingway book Men Without Women

Source: Men Without Women

“Strange though it is, Sarov still cares about you. He told me to leave you alone. But I think, this time, I must disobey the general. You are mine! And I intend to make you suffer…"

"Just talking to you makes me suffer," Alex said.”

Anthony Horowitz book Skeleton Key

Source: Skeleton Key

Thinking, Suffering, Time

“Without the support from religion--remember, we talked about it--no father, using only his own resources, would be able to bring up a child.”

Leo Tolstoy book Anna Karenina

Source: Anna Karenina

Religion, Support

“Don't talk. Kill it."
That might be the sweetest thing a woman's ever said to me on a first date.”

Richard Kadrey (1957) San Francisco-based novelist, freelance writer, and photographer

Source: Kill the Dead

“It occurred to me that everyone’s story matters to themselves, so the more I listened, the more she wanted to talk.”

Miranda July (1974) American performance artist, musician and writer

Source: It Chooses You

“If you talk about it, it's a dream, if you envision it, it's possible, but if you schedule it, it's real.”

Anthony Robbins (1960) Author, actor, professional speaker

Source: Get the Edge

Dreams, Motivational, Deep, Success

“Calm down, Horus said.
"Don't tell me to calm down!"
Bast frowned. "I didn't."
"Talking to him!" I pointed at my forehead.”

Rick Riordan book The Red Pyramid

Source: The Red Pyramid

“If a restaurant offers crayons, I always take them and color throughout the meal. It beats talking to the people I came to dinner with.”

Stephan Pastis (1968) American cartoonist

People, Color

“I hardly ever talk- words seem such a waste, and they are none of them true. No one has yet invented a language from my point of view.”

Aleister Crowley book Diary of a Drug Fiend

Source: Diary of a Drug Fiend

“If the person you are talking to doesn't appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.”

A.A. Milne book Winnie-the-Pooh

Source: Winnie-the-Pooh

Appearance, Personality

“I vowed to never, ever talk or reason like an adult.”

Obert Skye (1970) American writer

Source: Pillage

“This is a hell of dull talk… How about some of that champagne?”

Ernest Hemingway book The Sun Also Rises

Source: The Sun Also Rises

Hell

“Nine times out of ten, talking is a way of avoiding doing things.”

Patricia C. Wrede Dealing with Dragons

Source: Dealing with Dragons

Way, Time

“Her one drink had Cecelia giggling and talking and she was explaining that animals had souls too. Nobody challenged her opinion. It was possible, we knew. What we weren't sure of was if we had any.”

Charles Bukowski book Women

Source: Women

Soul, Drink, Animals

“Nobody's talking to me, but nobody's hassling me either. I guess you can't have everything.”

Beatrice Sparks (1917–2012) American writer

Source: Go Ask Alice

“Have books ‘happened’ to you? Unless your answer to that question is ‘yes,’ I’m unsure how to talk to you”

Haruki Murakami (1949) Japanese author, novelist

Books, Question

“When men talk about the agony of being men, they can never quite get away from the recurrent theme of self-pity. And when women talk about being women, they can never quite get away from the recurrent theme of blaming men.”

Pat Conroy book The Prince of Tides

Source: The Prince of Tides

Women, Men

“The aim of language… is to communicate… to impart to others the results one has obtained… As I talk, I reveal the situation… I reveal it to myself and to others in order to change it.”

Jean Paul Sartre (1905–1980) French existentialist philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and …

Communication, Change

“Rest satisfied with doing well, and leave others to talk of you as they please.”

Pythagoras (-585–-495 BC) ancient Greek mathematician and philosopher

As quoted in The World's Laconics: Or, The Best Thoughts of the Best Authors (1853) by Everard Berkeley
Variant: Rest satisfied with doing well, and leave others to talk of you as they will.

Powerful

“Any tips for winning?” she’d asked.
“Yeah. Do what you gotta do to survive.”
“That’s it? Wow. You suck at pep talks.”

Gena Showalter (1975) American writer

Source: The Darkest Surrender