Discretion of speech is more than eloquence, and to speak agreeably to him with whom we deal is more than to speak in good words, or in good order.

Politeness is, you know, is a wonderful thing. Manners are in fact, really important thing. But remember, Jesus didn’t have many manners as we now know.

People use irony as a defense mechanism.

Back, you know, a few generations ago, people didn’t have a way to share information and express their opinions efficiently to a lot of people. But now they do. Right now, with social networks and other tools on the Internet, all of these 500 million people have a way to say what they’re thinking and have their voice be heard.

The people to fear are not those who disagree with you, but those who disagree with you and are too cowardly to let you know.

I could talk all day, T stands for talking, T stands for tender, T stands for things that don’t even rhyme with T.

We often refuse to accept an idea merely because the tone of voice in which it has been expressed is unsympathetic to us.

If your man is a sports enthusiast, you may have to resign yourself to his spouting off in a monotone on a prize fight, football game or pennant race.

I very rarely think in words at all. A thought comes, and I may try to express it in words afterwards.

I am an introvert; privately I am very shy, and I don’t speak unless I have to.

For me to talk with Obama and the conversation I had with him, I was letting him know that me and my fans have a special connection, and it’s love, and I believe that love is the answer.

If you want to talk about something new, you have to make up a new kind of language.

I don’t write letters anymore.

To find out your real opinion of someone, judge the impression you have when you first see a letter from them.

Is it not important to find out how to listen not only to what is being said but to everything – to the noise in the streets, to the chatter of birds, to the noise of the tramcar, to the restless sea, to the voice of your husband, to your wife, to your friends, to the cry of a baby?

I loved writing for kids, I loved talking to children about what I’d written, I don’t want to leave that behind.

Let us make a special effort to stop communicating with each other, so we can have some conversation.

When I’m nervous, I stutter, and I had to keep stopping and starting.

I wasn’t a kid growing up thinking, ‚One day I’ll get an Oscar and make a speech.‘ That wasn’t on my mind.

He that would live in peace and at ease must not speak all he knows or all he sees.

Being politically correct means saying what’s polite rather than what’s accurate. I like to be accurate.

Why a four-year-old child could understand this report. Run out and find me a four-year-old child. I can’t make head nor tail out of it.

The best way to resolve any problem in the human world is for all sides to sit down and talk.

I never did give anybody hell. I just told the truth and they thought it was hell.

I didn’t just invent saying offensive things.

Eat to please thyself, but dress to please others.

We are masters of the unsaid words, but slaves of those we let slip out.

My daughter doesn’t even get my humor. She’s like, ‚Um, no. I don’t get it, Dad. Mmm, no, not that one, Dad.‘

One must steer, not talk.

Without tact you can learn nothing.

People have to talk about something just to keep their voice boxes in working order so they’ll have good voice boxes in case there’s ever anything really meaningful to say.

Anyone who says he can see through women is missing a lot.

A friend of mine tells that I talk in shorthand and then smudge it.

Brevity and conciseness are the parents of correction.

A quarrel is quickly settled when deserted by one party; there is no battle unless there be two.

Both times I was in India, I could not get people to listen to each other. I had to literally tell people to listen to each other and tell them that they can’t get creative and find alternate solutions if they don’t listen to each other. There’s a lot of arguing and justifying.

Action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often.

Never be so brief as to become obscure.

Music helps me tell my story. That’s where I can really be heard. But there’s so much focus on the things that aren’t music.

The most successful politician is he who says what the people are thinking most often in the loudest voice.

Where there is shouting, there is no true knowledge.

A friend should be a master at guessing and keeping still: you must not want to see everything.

Words may show a man’s wit but actions his meaning.

Being a good listener is absolutely critical to being a good leader; you have to listen to the people who are on the front line.

Writing, to me, is simply thinking through my fingers.

When I am getting ready to reason with a man, I spend one-third of my time thinking about myself and what I am going to say and two-thirds about him and what he is going to say.

It is unbecoming for young men to utter maxims.

It is good to express a thing twice right at the outset and so to give it a right foot and also a left one. Truth can surely stand on one leg, but with two it will be able to walk and get around.

Speeches that are measured by the hour will die with the hour.

Every day we should hear at least one little song, read one good poem, see one exquisite picture, and, if possible, speak a few sensible words.

Music is well said to be the speech of angels.

I don’t think people are going to talk in the future. They’re going to communicate through eye contact, body language, emojis, signs.

It is understanding that gives us an ability to have peace. When we understand the other fellow’s viewpoint, and he understands ours, then we can sit down and work out our differences.

The best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it.

A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.

I used to stutter really badly. Everybody thinks it’s funny. And it’s not funny. It’s not.

Newspapers are the second hand of history. This hand, however, is usually not only of inferior metal to the other hands, it also seldom works properly.

Tell the children the truth.

Quarrel? Nonsense; we have not quarreled. If one is not to get into a rage sometimes, what is the good of being friends?

Use what language you will, you can never say anything but what you are.

Extremely religious, legalistic people have a criticism or judgment about everyone and everything. They just have a way of bringing people down with what they say.