‘We have too many high sounding words and too few actions that correspond with them.’ – Abigail Adams, (1744 – 1818), American, wife of President John Adams and mother of President John Quincy Adams.
‘Words ought to be a little wild, for they are the assaults of thought on the unthinking.’ – John Fletcher, (1579 – 1625), prolific and influential English dramatist of the Jacobean era.
‘Do not accustom yourself to use big words for little matters.’ – Samuel Johnson (1709 – 1784), English writer, poet and literary critic.
We can all still learn so much about communicating from Plato, the 4th century BC classic Greek philosopher, mathematician and scientist:
‘The beginning is the most important part of the work.’
‘Wise men speak because they have something to say. Fools speak because they have to say something.’
‘Those who tell the stories rule society.’
‘I’m trying to think, don’t confuse me with facts.’
We can learn a lot from these 19th century authors about communication.
‘Deeds, not words, shall speak me.’ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German poet, playwright and statesman.
‘Speak properly and in as few words as you can, but always plainly.’ William Butler Yeats, Irish poet and politician.
‘… the short words are the best and the old words best of all.’ Samuel Taylor Coleridge, English poet, literary critic and philosopher.
We can learn a lot from these 20th century celebrities about communication.
‘The secret of a good speech is to have a good beginning and a good ending, then having the two as close together as possible.’ George Burns – comedian and actor.
‘You can speak well if your tongue can deliver the message of your heart.’ – John Ford – award-winning and influential film director.
‘The human brain starts working the moment you are born and never stops until you stand up to speak in public.’ – George Jessell – actor, singer and ‘Toastmaster General of the United States’.
‘Talk low, talk slow, and don’t talk too much.’ – John Wayne, award-winning actor and film director.
‘We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.’ Epictetus, AD 55 – 135, Greek philosopher.
‘Use soft words and hard arguments.’ Cato The Elder, 234 BC – 149 BC, Roman orator & politician.
‘Look with favor on bold beginnings.’ Virgil, 70 BC – 19 BC, Roman poet.
I really love a finished speaker. I really truly do. I don’t mean one who’s polished. I just mean one who’s through.’ – Richard Goodwin, 20th century American author and presidential speechwriter.
When you say all you have to say and come to a grammatically correct end, sit down. – Winston Churchill, 20th century British Prime Minister during WW II.
Those who draw the distinction between education and entertainment don’t know the first thing about either. Marshall McLuhan, 20th century Canadian communication author, philosopher and college professor.
‘Be still when you have nothing to say; when genuine passion moves you, say what you’ve got to say, and say it hot.’ – D. H. Lawrence, early 20th century British novelist, poet and playwright.
‘You can speak well if your tongue can deliver the message of your heart.’ – John Ford, 20th century American Academy Award winning film director.
‘Speak when you are angry – and you will make the best speech you’ll ever regret.’ – Laurence J. Peter, 20th century Canadian author and educator.
‘I understand a fury in your words, but not the words.’ – William Penn, 17th century English philosopher, entrepreneur and founder of Pennsylvania.
Our 19th century American literary giants really understood the power of communication. We can still learn a lot from them.
‘Speak clearly, if you speak at all; carve every word before you let it fall’. – Oliver Wendell Holmes, 1809 – 1894, poet, lecturer and author.
‘Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel.’ – Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1803 – 1882, essayist, lecturer and poet.
‘Words are a form of action, capable of influencing change.’ – Herman Melville, 1819 – 1891, novelist, poet and short story writer.
“The beginning is the most important part of the work.” Plato, 428 BC – 348 BC, philosopher, mathematician & writer.
‘Language exerts hidden power, like a moon on the tides.’ Pindar, 522 BC – 443 BC, lyric poet.
‘Language is the source of misunderstandings.’, Aeschylus, 525 BC – 456 BC, playwright.
