“Rhetoric may be defined as the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion.”
Aristotle
PersuasionRhetoric
Communication Quotes
200 FAMOUS QUOTES · COMMUNICATION
Communication Quotes
Read 200 of the best communication quotes about listening, speaking, words, silence and conversation, from Shakespeare, Confucius, Mark Twain and more.
“You would imagine that they had intelligence, but if you want to know anything and put a question to one of them, the speaker always gives one unvarying answer.”
Plato
WritingDialogue
“Words should be scattered like seed; no matter how small the seed may be, if it has once found favourable ground, it unfolds its strength.”
Seneca
WordsInfluence
“Speak both in the senate and to every man, whoever he may be, appropriately, not with any affectation: use plain discourse.”
Marcus Aurelius
ClarityAuthenticity
“Accustom thyself to attend carefully to what is said by another, and as much as it is possible, be in the speaker's mind.”
Marcus Aurelius
ListeningEmpathy
“If any one tells you that such a person speaks ill of you, answer: 'He was ignorant of my other faults, else he would not have mentioned these alone.'”
Epictetus
CriticismHumor
“The man of perfect virtue is cautious and slow in his speech.”
Confucius
CautionVirtue
“When a man may be spoken with, not to speak to him is to err in reference to the man. When a man may not be spoken with, to speak to him is to err in reference to our words.”
Confucius
TimingJudgment
“To tell, as we go along, what we have heard on the way, is to cast away our virtue.”
Confucius
GossipIntegrity
“My words are very easy to know, and very easy to practise; but there is no one in the world who is able to know and able to practise them.”
Lao Tzu
SimplicityWisdom
“He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.”
The Bible (Proverbs 17:9)
GossipFriendship
“A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.”
The Bible (Proverbs 11:13)
TrustConfidentiality
“A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.”
The Bible (Proverbs 18:2)
ListeningWisdom
“She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.”
The Bible (Proverbs 31:26)
KindnessWisdom
“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight.”
The Bible (Psalm 19:14)
WordsPrayer
“Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.”
The Bible (Psalm 141:3)
Self-ControlPrayer
“That I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary.”
The Bible (Isaiah 50:4)
EncouragementTiming
“A wholesome tongue is a tree of life.”
The Bible (Proverbs 15:4)
KindnessPower Of Words
“The sweetness of the lips increaseth learning.”
The Bible (Proverbs 16:21)
TeachingKindness
“A soft tongue breaketh the bone.”
The Bible (Proverbs 25:15)
GentlenessPersuasion
“Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof.”
The Bible (Matthew 12:36)
ResponsibilityWords
“Rude am I in my speech, and little bless'd with the soft phrase of peace.”
William Shakespeare
HonestySpeaking
“I will speak daggers to her, but use none.”
William Shakespeare
Harsh WordsAnger
“Rumour is a pipe blown by surmises, jealousies, conjectures.”
William Shakespeare
RumoursGossip
“They that dally nicely with words may quickly make them wanton.”
William Shakespeare
WordsCaution