John Sandford Quotes

I was always influenced by language.

The very special place that a language occupies among institutions is undeniable, but there is much more to be said-, a comparison would tend rather to bring out the differences.

I personally am not conscious of my accent.

One does, after all, take on many of the givens of a society when one takes on its language.

The common behavior of mankind is the system of reference by means of which we interpret an unknown language.

I don't think there is such a thing as an idea without words, because your language is your thought.

Language, if it throws a veil over our ideas, adds a softness and refinement to them, like that which the atmosphere gives to naked objects.

Smaller incidents in my life made me realize that language, even more than color, defines who you are to people.

Language is our way of communicating what we want and who we are. By using bad language, we diminish the divine spark within us that defines our humanity.

Speech is the mother, not the handmaid, of thought.

In taking care with language, we take care of ourselves.

Written forms obscure our view of language. They are not so much a garment as a disguise.

Language is not a handmaiden to perception; it is perception; it gives shape to what would otherwise be inert and dead.

Argumentation is a human enterprise that is embedded in a larger social and psychological context. This context includes (1) the total psyches of the two persons engaged in dialogue, (2) the relationship between the two persons, (3) the immediate situation in which they find themselves and (4) the larger social, cultural and historical situation surrounding them.

[On political correctness:] Any intended message mattered less than the received message, and every received message could be interpreted in whatever way the receiver wanted.

I am fascinated by language in daily life: the way it can evoke an emotion, a visual image, a complex idea, or a simple truth.

The idea of political content is irrelevant. Content is irrelevant. I always tell my students, "Never forget you're writing words! You know, word one, word two, word three, word four. The words have to be organized. Nothing else does."

Once a human being has arrived on this earth, communication is the largest single factor determining what kinds of relationships he makes with others and what happens to him in the world about him.

When persons are present to one another they can function not merely as physical instruments but also as communicative ones. This possibility, no less than the physical one, is fateful for everyone concerned and in every society appears to come under strict normative regulation, giving rise to a kind of communication traffic order.

Be careful of words, / ... they can be both daisies and bruises.

Not everything is about money. You didn't even say, hello. You are not your sad little wallet.

They've a temper, some of them - particularly verbs, they're the proudest - adjectives you can do anything with, but not verbs.

If you are sad, ask yourself why you are sad. Then pick up the phone and call someone and tell him the answer to the question. If you don't know anyone, call the operator and tell him. Most people don't know that the operator has to listen, it is a law. Also, the postman is not allowed to go inside your house, but you can talk to him on public property for up to four minutes or until he wants to go, whichever comes first.

To hold silence and to be silenced are two very different experiences. And so another theme emerges, that of light and shadow. When we share our voice, who benefits? When we withhold, who benefits? And what are the consequences and costs of both?