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About this quote

What does it mean?
True understanding often comes from listening beyond words and speaking slowly.
In plain terms
Listening deeply and speaking slowly shows understanding beyond just thoughts.
What can you take from it?
Listen more than you speak to understand others deeply.

Where it applies

  • conflict resolution
  • teaching
  • counseling

Putting it to work

  • practice active listening
  • slow down speech
  • listen for tone

Questions to consider

  • How do you listen when someone is struggling?
  • What does silence tell you?

Another view

Slow speech might sometimes be mistaken for lack of knowledge.

More from John Steinbeck

  1. George:I never seen no piece of jail bait worse than her. You leave her be. Ch.2, p.33

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  2. Guy don't need no sense to be a nice fella. Seems to me sometimes it jus' works the other way around. Take a real smart guy and he ain't hardly ever a nice fel…

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  3. Well, that glove's fulla vaseline. Vaseline? What the hell for? Well, I tell ya what - Curley says he's keepin' that hand soft for his wife.' Ch. 2, p.29

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