A diplomat is a man who always remembers a woman's birthday... but never remembers her age.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- A diplomat remembers a woman's birthday but forgets her age, showing selective memory.
- In plain terms
- Diplomats recall pleasant details, ignore potentially sensitive ones.
- What can you take from it?
- Use selective courtesy to maintain harmony.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When is it appropriate to hide certain facts?
- How does omission affect trust?
Another view
Selective memory can be seen as insincere.
More from Robert Frost
A definite purpose, like blinders on a horse, inevitably narrows its possessor's point of view.
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