I went through two majors in college before settling on Communication. In my first ever communication course, I was immediately fascinated at all the tools humans have developed to communicate with each other. However, it wasn’t the “how”, but the “why” that always fascinated me. Why do humans choose to communicate the way we do?
It was a question I carried over into my graduate school work in training and development. It is a question that carries me as I coach, train, and write about how to have deeper, more authentic communication with other people.
Communication has gone from the spoken word to written word to digital word. And there are forms of communication that don’t use words at all! Yet, despite its form, the audience will always be the same. We communicate with other people. I think we forget that sometimes. Famous (and not so famous) people have spoken some great truth about the power inherent in communication.
In this post, I share 12 life-changing communication quotes. These 12 communication quotes address the how and why of effective communication. If implemented, they will change your life. I love quotes because they have a way of making you think, pause, and reflect. Tis the season of giving, so I would like to give you the gift of inspiration.
12 Life Changing Communication Quotes
“The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said.”
~Peter Drucker
“Not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.”
~George Sala
“The reason why so few people are agreeable in conversations is that each is thinking more about what he intends to say than about what others are saying, and we never listen when we are eager to speak.”
~Francois La Rochefoucauld
“Take advantage of every opportunity to practice your communication skills so that when important occasions arise, you will have the gift, the style, the sharpness, the clarity, and the emotions to affect other people.”
~Jim Rohn
“Language cares.”
~Howard Nemerov
“The genius of communication is the ability to be both totally honest and totally kind at the same time.”
~John Powell
“In communications, familiarity breeds apathy.”
~William Bernbach
“Communication is a continual balancing act, juggling the conflicting needs for intimacy and independence. To survive in the world, we have to act in concert with others, but to survive as ourselves, rather than simply as cogs in a wheel, we have to act alone.”
~Deborah Tannen
“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”
~Mother Teresa
“Regardless of the changes in technology, the market for well-crafted messages will always have an audience.”
~Steve Burnett
“You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can’t get them across, your ideas won’t get you anywhere.”
~Lee Iacocca
“Evil communication corrupts good manners. I hope to live to hear that good communication corrects bad manners.”
~Benjamin Banneker
I am a huge Jim Rohn fan, so my favorite is, “Take advantage of every opportunity to practice your communication skills so that when important occasions arise, you will have the gift, the style, the sharpness, the clarity, and the emotions to affect other people.” Love the other quotes as well, Julia. Such a great post!
Adam, I like that one because it is job security for me! 🙂
Julia, really interesting quotes. I like George Sala’s “to leave the unsaid…” so difficult to do, but so helpful when achieved. It prevents a lot of headaches:)
One of my favorites is:
Of all of our inventions for mass communication, pictures still speak the most universally understood language.
Walt Disney
Have a beautiful day. Keep it up.
Diego.
That quote almost made the list Diego!
Hey that’s not fair. Asking me to pick a favorite is like asking me which son I like best. They are all great and I’m going to Buffer them right now. Stop me if you dare.
LOL Leo!
Making this list was liking picking between 30 of my kids. There are so many that are great. It is a challenge. I won’t stop you. Buffer away!
So funny guys!! Lots of great quotes out there!!
Julia, what is the best email I can reach you -non professional-? Can you shoot me an email: [email protected] so we can connect?!
Thanks. Hope you had an awesome holiday!