Espresso is to Italy, what champagne is to France.
Charles Maurice De TalleyrandRead
If we go on explaining we shall cease to understand one another.
Interpretation
Explaining too much can lead to misunderstandings between people.
This quote by Talleyrand emphasizes the idea that over-explaining or trying to clarify everything can result in confusion rather than understanding. When we focus too much on the details and intricacies of our thoughts, we may lose the essence of the communication, leading to a breakdown in mutual understanding. It suggests that simplicity and clarity in communication are often more effective than elaborate explanations.
In practice
A speaker at a conference might use this quote to highlight the importance of clear communication.
Espresso is to Italy, what champagne is to France.
A court is an assembly of noble and distinguished beggars.
I am more afraid of an army of 100 sheep led by a lion than an army of 100 lions led by a sheep.
What clever man has ever needed to commit a crime? Crime is the last resort of political half-wits.
An important art of politicians is to find new names for institutions which under old names have become odious to the public.
Love of glory can only create a great hero; contempt of glory creates a great man.
The best defense against propaganda: more propaganda.
Listening well is an exercise of attention and by necessity hard work. It is because they do not realize this or because they are not willing to do the work that most people do not listen well.
Listen with your eyes for feelings.
So much of what passes for conversation today is degraded. It's either about one-upmanship, or dreary trivia. Even the cut and thrust of wit and bons mots is a form of bedazzlement designed to stop conversations dead rather than broaden them.
People don't listen to understand. They listen to reply. The collective monologue is everyone talking and no one listening.
Communication starts with the understanding that there is my point of view (my truth) and someone else's point of view (his truth). Rarely is there one absolute truth, so people who believe that they speak the truth are very silencing of others.
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