Amy Hempel Quotes

I'm hopeless at small talk and have a problem making eye contact.

I genuinely enjoy talking one-to-one. I have no shyness about that.

Whether one talks well depends very much upon whom he has to talk to.

Having a human conversation is not something I've had any training in either as a comedian or as, you know, a human being.

I think there's a worry that an excessive use or an almost exclusive use of text and emails means that as a society we're losing some of the ability to build interpersonal communication that's necessary for living together and building a community.

I'm hopeless by e-mail, by phone, by text.

I think because both of my parents were essentially salespeople, and Italian-Americans, I always seemed to get along with people; I had a knack of finding something to talk about.

I'm not good at small talk. I'm really not. I'm not that great at any talk.

Some people are very good at that, communicating with the world; I'm not sure I'm suited to it.

Someday, someday, but certainly not now, I'd like to learn how to have a conversation.

On the whole, and providing one is in good spirits and feeling reasonably bright, it is not hard to converse for a short space of time on subjects about which one knows little, and it is indeed often amusing to see how cunningly one can steer the conversational barque, hoisting and lowering her sails, tacking this way and that to avoid reefs, and finally racing feverishly for home with the outboard engine making a loud and cheerful noise.

I am worried that the next generation will not be able to have a real conversation.

Charles looked at her thoughtfully. "People talk to you," he said. "That could be useful.

... all of us talk faster than we listen.

Being polite, being respectful, having manners, and being a socialite - they're key life skills that people take for granted. Being able to communicate with all people on all levels is what's got me so far.

I was a bartender for four years, and that was the best training that I had for learning how to approach people.

I often talk too much and don't listen enough.

I have a tendency to trail off in conversations. I don't look up at people sometimes when I talk or cook, and those are all pretty bad no-no's being in front of the camera.

I am very bad at schmoozing, and I'm not overtly charming in social situations.

I'm not an extremely social person in general because I don't love crowds, but I'm an engaging person, and I love good conversation.

There can never silence or dead air so you're constantly having to talk about something even if in your head you're like 'I don't even know what I'm saying right now.' But you have to still be interesting.

It is a secret known but to few, yet of no small use in the conduct of life, that when you fall into a man's conversation, the first thing you should consider is, whether he has a greater inclination to hear you, or that you should hear him.

If you can't make yourself understood by your friends, you'll be in trouble when your enemies come for you.

Anyway, since when are you shy? Just talk to him already!' ' 'And say what? Nice fiddling, handsome man?' 'Absolutely.

I like being around people who are good conversationalists.