Jane Smiley Quotes

I love observing both vocally and by sight. So I take on a lot of those elements of people around me.

I've always been a keen observer of people.

I'm a people watcher, and I love to listen.

I think you can tell a lot about people if you observe them as they're observing.

In apartments and cottages, on the street and in the train... I listen... More and more, I turn into one large ear, always turning to another person.

I love reading people. I really enjoy watching, observing, and being able to figure out a person, the reason they wore that dress, the reason they smell the way they do.

When I sit and talk with a person, I'm not always paying attention. I'm looking at the person and saying, 'What is it about his or her life that appeals to me?'

I love observing people.

I love to sit and watch people. I love to sit and listen to people.

I'm a voyeur. I say that with no embarrassment. If I could have a superpower, being invisible would be it, no question. I'm fascinated by human behavior; observing people and seeing how much story gets told without a lot of dialogue, and how much our brain fills in.

If I were to name my favorite pastime, I'd have to say talking about myself. I love it and I think most other people do too. We need, people like us, more listeners and less talkers.

I'm the biggest fan of face-to-face communication.

I can watch anybody all day long if they're really doing what they're doing. I have a fascination with human behavior, watching people talk, when they pick at their face or how they hold their hand or if they're listening to you, if they're not listening to you.

I find that communication as an actor and person is an important part of who I am. And I'm really drawn into the psychology of those dynamics.

I love studying how people are. Not just what they're saying, but how they are, what they're doing.

I cannot stress enough that the answer to life's questions is often in people's faces. Try putting your iPhones down once in a while, and look in people's faces. People's faces will tell you amazing things. Like if they are angry, or nauseous or asleep.

It's no secret that I love to talk, but the real secret is I love to listen, too.

We're losing social skills, the human interaction skills, how to read a person's mood, to read their body language, how to be patient until the moment is right to make or press a point. Too much exclusive use of electronic information dehumanises what is a very, very important part of community life and living together.

I like to think I'm a listener, and I'm fascinated by observing people - I suppose you just lock that in.

I've always been someone who really watches other people, human behavior. To watch it and be able to express it through your version has always been really exciting to me.

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

I prefer to watch people.

The best thing I could say is you do have to be a really good listener. If I go to a family reunion, and there's 400 people there, everybody comes up and tells me their stories, right? And I think that when you're a good listener, and you can imagine how someone's talking, dialogue is your key friend, is it not?

I spent over 90 percent of my time talking to people who didn’t have to listen to me.

When I walk around, I look at people and observe people.