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The trouble with her is that she lacks the power of conversation but not the power of speech.
George Bernard Shaw
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote suggests that one can speak without truly communicating or engaging in meaningful dialogue.

George Bernard Shaw emphasizes the distinction between mere speech and the art of conversation. While a person may possess the ability to speak, they might struggle with connecting or engaging others on a deeper level, leading to a lack of genuine interaction despite their vocal abilities. This points to the importance of communication skills in fostering meaningful relationships and understanding.

Themes

CommunicationConversationSpeechEngagementDialogue

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech about effective communication skills, one might say, 'As George Bernard Shaw pointed out, the trouble with her is that she lacks the power of conversation but not the power of speech.'

More from George Bernard Shaw

What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.
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Marriage is good enough for the lower classes: they have facilities for desertion that are denied to us.
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Forgive him, for he believes that the customs of his tribe are the laws of nature!
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Those who talk most about the blessings of marriage and the constancy of its vows are the very people who declare that if the chain were broken and the prisoners left free to choose, the whole social fabric would fly asunder. You cannot have the argument both ways. If the prisoner is happy, why lock him in? If he is not, why pretend that he is?
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Treat a friend as a person who may someday become your enemy; an enemy as a person who may someday become your friend.
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The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality.
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