It is not so much the content of what one says as the way in which one says it. However important the thing you say, what's the good of it if not heard or, being heard, not felt?
Interpretation
The delivery of a message is as important as the message itself.
This quote emphasizes the significance of how we communicate our thoughts and feelings. It suggests that even if the content of our message is important, it loses its impact if it is not delivered in an engaging way that resonates with the audience.
In practice
During a presentation at work, one could use this quote to highlight the importance of effective communication to ensure the audience is engaged.
If we communicated with something like music, we would never be misunderstood, because there is nothing in music to understand...... But until we find this new way of speaking, until we can find a nonapproximate vocabulary, nonsense words are the best thing we've got. Ifactifice is one such word.
Speak from your mind and people will hear you with their mind. Speak from your heart and people will hear you with their heart.
So if you aspire to be a good conversationali st, be an attentive listener.
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.
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.
Communication is an offering. When you tell someone your truth, you must release your expectation of what the other person should do with it. They may thank you profusely, love you forever, argue with you, or ignore you. It doesn't matter. Of course we hope the gift will be received with appreciation and thanks. But if it isn't we must not dictate. We've done our part, and we must trust the universe to do the rest.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.