This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.
Deborah Tannen, fully Deborah Frances Tannen
Many of us dismiss talk that does not convey important information as worthless - meaningless small talk if it's a social setting or empty rhetoric if it's public. Such admonitions as Skip the small talk, Get to the point, or Why don't you say what you mean? may seem to be reasonable. But they are reasonable only if information is all that counts. This attitude toward talk ignores the fact that people are emotionally involved with each other and that talking is the major way be establish, maintain, monitor and adjust our relationships.
When I am talking about It Takes a Village, I'm obviously not talking just about or even primarily about geographical villages any longer, but about the network of relationships and values that do connect us and binds us together.
Talking |
Buckminster Fuller, fully Richard Buckminster "Bucky" Fuller
You can't better the world by simply talking to it. Philosophy to be effective must be mechanically applied.
Better | Philosophy | Talking | World |
Buckminster Fuller, fully Richard Buckminster "Bucky" Fuller
I find the audiences very excited. But then they come and say to me, your optimism has brushed off on me. I didn't know we had an option. I feel so much better. They say, your optimism. And I am not optimistic or pessimistic. I feel that optimism and pessimism are very unbalanced. I am a very hard engineer. I am a mechanic. I am a sailor. I am an air pilot. I don't tell people I can get you across the ocean with my ship unless I know what I'm talking about.
Quentin Crisp, born Denis Charles Pratt
I was amazed to receive later a substantial sum for sitting in my room and talking about myself. If only I could get some of the back pay!
Richard Leakey, fully Richard Erskine Frere Leakey
As we sit today, it is important to remember we are talking about the future of a member of our family, not a strange creature that lives in the jungle.
Rainer Maria Rilke, full name René Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Maria Rilke
Being in therapy is great. I spend an hour just talking about myself. It's kinda like being the guy on a date.
Talking |
The greatest tragedy in the world is a divided church. We must come together. So don't start talking about doctrine, because if you do, we shall be divided. But there is one thing we can do. We may not be able to agree about doctrine, but we can always pray together.
Ramakrishna, aka Ramakrishna Paramhamsa or Sri Ramakrishna, born Gadadhar Chattopadhyay NULL
Through selfless work, love of God grows in the heart. Then through his grace one realize him in course of time. God can be seen. One can talk to him as I am talking to you.
The days went by for him, all different and all the same. The boy was happy, and yet he didn't know that he was happy, exactly: he couldn't remember having been unhappy. If one day as he played at the edge of the forest some talking bird had flown down and asked him: Do you like your life he would not have known what to say, but would have asked the bird: Can you not like it?
Ramakrishna, aka Ramakrishna Paramhamsa or Sri Ramakrishna, born Gadadhar Chattopadhyay NULL
In some people spiritual consciousness has already been awakened; but they have special marks. They do not enjoy hearing or talking about anything but God. They are like the chatak, which prays for rain-water though the seven oceans, the Ganges, the Jamuna, and the rivers near it are all filled with water. It won't drink anything but rain-water, even though its throat is burning with thirst.
Consciousness | People | Talking |
Ray Bradbury, fully Ray Douglas Bradbury
The books are to remind us what asses and fool we are. They're Caeser's praetorian guard, whispering as the parade roars down the avenue, Remember, Caeser, thou art mortal. Most of us can't rush around, talking to everyone, know all the cities of the world, we haven't time, money or that many friends. The things you're looking for, Montag, are in the world, but the only way the average chap will ever see ninety-nine per cent of them is in a book. Don't ask for guarantees. And don't look to be saved in any one thing, person, machine, or library. Do your own bit of saving, and if you drown, at least die knowing you were headed for shore.
Ray Kroc, fully Raymond Albert Kroc
I don't believe in saturation. We're thinking and talking worldwide.
Ray Kroc, fully Raymond Albert Kroc
If any of my competitors were drowning, I'd stick a hose in their mouth and turn on the water. It is ridiculous to call this an industry. This is not. This is rat eat rat, dog eat dog. I'll kill 'em, and I'm going to kill 'em before they kill me. You're talking about the American way
Ray Kroc, fully Raymond Albert Kroc
Visions of McDonald's restaurants dotting crossroads all over the country paraded through my brain. I don't believe in saturation. We're thinking and talking worldwide.
Ray Bradbury, fully Ray Douglas Bradbury
Science fiction is the most important literature in the history of the world, because it's the history of ideas, the history of our civilization birthing itself. ...Science fiction is central to everything we've ever done, and people who make fun of science fiction writers don't know what they're talking about.
Civilization | Fun | History | Important | Literature | People | Science | Talking |
Rebecca West, pen name of Mrs. Cicily Maxwell Andrews, born Fairfield, aka Dame Rebecca West
There was a definite process by which one made people into friends, and it involved talking to them and listening to them for hours at a time.