Quotes About Conversation

He sought my views on a range of topics

Actually, sir, Mr Fink-Nottle was asking after you. He's gone up to the bar.' 'Gussie, Gussie, Gussie,' I sang to myself while striding to the oasis, 'a guinea to a gooseberry the booby's in a pickle.' 'Bertie, I'm in a pickle.' 'What-ho, Gussie. I had a sort of feeling you might be.

There will be no conversation in which you call me a racist, and I explain why I'm not a racist. That's a conversation for idiots.

I think we can have a rational, political conversation about balancing rights and risks and rewards of all of these different policies, but I don't think that what we need to do is demonize people on the other side as being unfeeling about what happened at Sandy Hook.

Nick Denton's core insight: in the newspaper era, the best stories were sometimes the ones reporters told one another in bars, rather than the ones they printed.

Nella vita di tutti i giorni [i francesi] hanno portato al massimo grado di perfezione quell'arte che, fra tutte, è la più utile e la più gradevole, l' art de vivre , l'arte della società e della conversazione. - David Hume, The Philosophical Works

Science is like literature, a continuing dialog among diverse and conflicting voices, no one ever wholly right or wholly wrong, but a steady conversation forever provisional and personal and living.

King Louis Philippe once said to me that he attributed the great success of the British nation in political life to their talking politics after dinner.

Evil communication corrupts good manners. I hope to live to hear that good communication corrects bad manners.

When will I see you again?" I asked. On these occasions, there's nothing original to say

Bore: one who has the power of speech but not the capacity for conversation.

Talk to a man about himself and he will listen for hours.

Talk to people about themselves and they will listen for hours

Reading makes a full man, meditation a profound man, discourse a clear man.

The great secret of succeeding in conversation is to admire little, to hear much; always to distrust our own reason, and sometimes that of our friends; never to pretend to wit, but to make that of others appear as much as possibly we can; to hearken.

Somebody, it seemed, gave it out that I loved ladies; and then everybody presented me their ladies (or the ladies presented themselves) to be embraced, that is to have their necks kissed...The French ladies had a thousand other ways of rendering themselves agreeable by their various attentions and civilities, and their sensible conversation. Tis a delightful people to live with.

Our supper was only half an anchovy each, on a very little strip of bread and butter, and half a pint of ale between us; but the entertainment was in her conversation.

and therefore wishing to break a habit I was getting into of prattling, punning, and joking, which only made me acceptable to trifling company,

my desire being to gain knowledge at the same time that I improv'd in virtue, and considering that in conversation it was obtain'd rather by the use of the ears than of the tongue, and therefore wishing to break a habit I was getting into of prattling, punning, and joking, which only made me acceptable to trifling company,

130. Some are so Foolish as to interrupt and anticipate those that speak, instead of hearing and thinking before they answer; which is uncivil as well as silly.

the chief ends of conversation are to inform or to be informed, to please or to persuade, I wish well-meaning, sensible men would not lessen their power of doing good by a positive, assuming manner, that seldom fails to disgust, tends to create opposition, and to defeat everyone of those purposes for which speech was given to us, to wit, giving or receiving information or pleasure.

He had been brought up to it from a boy, his father, as I have heard, accustoming his children to dispute with one another for his diversion, while sitting at table after dinner; but I think the practice was not wise; for, in the course of my observation, these disputing, contradicting, and confuting people are generally unfortunate in their affairs. They get victory sometimes, but they never get good will, which would be of more use to them.

Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself, avoid trifling conversation.

Alinea is not the type of restaurant where you go if you're in a hurry. Really, it's about enjoying that three-hour block of time and reflecting on the food, having great conversation with your dining companion.