Deborah Tannen Quotes

In elementary school, we should teach nonviolent conflict resolution and healthy communication skills, which will help children cope with issues like rejection and sexuality later in life.

When I have an argument with someone, even with someone I am not very close with, I can't sleep at night thinking about it. It's terrible. But I still manage speak out frankly because I have also been gifted with the ability to read people. I can sense when they start to get irritated with me, and then, I shift.

If you have a large family like ours, you have to fight to get your point across, and I think I learned that from my dad.

People that don't talk are constipated. I'm sorry, but if you can't communicate, what do you have? You have nothing.

I don't have problems with people, because if I do, I address it.

Communication is an issue where we can improve, and if I can do anything to help, I am happy to.

There is a fine line between assertiveness and being relaxed.

For me, becoming a man had a lot to do with learning communication, and I learned about that by acting.

People take things too personally - I don't. If someone says something about me, I let it go. But unfortunately, everyone isn't like that. So I'm trying to be more diplomatic - but people always want a headline from me!

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.

Whenever you're in conflict with someone, there is one factor that can make the difference between damaging your relationship and deepening it. That factor is attitude.

So many bad things happen in this world because people don't know how to express things.

If you're yelling you're the one who's lost control of the conversation.

I'm not mean, just aggressive.

People get in fights because they don't communicate, because you don't want to hurt the other person.

Tone is often the most important part of a conversation - and listening is so much more important than what you say.

Women communicate differently and process information differently, which leads them to resolve conflicts differently.

Bad human communication leaves us less room to grow.

I blame all of Egypt, because they do not know how to talk to each other.

Your relationship with your sister-in-law is hingeing on your brother's - or your sister-in-law's - ability to keep that relationship together.

People don't know how to listen, and it's not their fault. In school, we learn how to read, we learn how to write - but nobody teaches you how to listen.

I think I am quite a good listener.

I grew up in a very loud family where you had to fight to get your voice heard, in a good way.

I feel like I'm a good listener.

We have to teach girls communication skills.