Terry Pratchett Quotes

I actually don't understand a word Paula's saying anymore. It's like a new language.

When one man speaks to another man who doesn't understand him, and when a man who's speaking no longer understands, it's metaphysics.

When he to whom one speaks does not understand, and he who speaks himself does not understand, that is metaphysics.

If we go on explaining we shall cease to understand one another.

Not understanding anything is terrible, because I communicate very much in my real life.

There,” she said triumphantly. “Like that.” He began to wonder if they were speaking the same language. “Like what?” “That! What you just said.” He crossed his arms. It seemed the only acceptable reply. If she couldn’t speak in complete sentences, he saw no reason why he had to speak at all.

Most of our life is miscommunication, and when you add a language barrier to it, it just becomes total mayhem and confusion... It just adds to it with all of the cultural differences. It could be an American family meeting another American family and you could still have a total clash. With family, it's like visiting another planet.

Stick." I said in Russian. I had no clue what the word for stake was. I pointed at the silver ring I wore and made a slashing motion. "Stick. where?" He stared at me in utter confusion and then asked in perfect English, "why are you talking like that?

Men tighten the knot of confusion Into perfect misunderstanding.

I don't know if you have noticed this, but it is quite possible for two human beings to have a conversation in which one or both parties involved has absolutely no idea what they're talking about.

THE FATHER: But don't you see that the whole trouble lies here? In words, words. Each one of us has within him a whole world of things, each man of us his own special world. And how can we ever come to an understanding if I put in the words I utter the sense and value of things as I see them; while you who listen to me must inevitably translate them according to the conception of things each one of you has within himself. We think we understand each other, but we never really do.

Quand celui à qui l'on parle ne comprend pas et celui qui parle ne se comprend pas, c'est de la métaphysique When he to whom a person speaks does not understand, and he who speaks does not understand himself, that is metaphysics.

I like that confusion when people are speaking in the same language but still can't understand each other. It's also usually my experience of being in America - when I speak no one can understand what I'm saying.

Are you two having some sort of strange human thing that you can’t follow what I’m saying? (Simi)

Your saying 'I do not understand you' is praise beyond my worth, and an insult you do not deserve.

Does nobody understand?

Just because I didn't do what you told me, doesn't mean I wasn't listening to you!

I’m not good at talking,” Naoko said. “Haven’t been for the longest while. I start to say something and the wrong words come out. Wrong or sometimes completely backward. I try to go back and correct it, but things get even more complicated and confused, so that I don’t even remember what I started to say in the first place. Like I was split into two or something, one half chasing the other. And there’s this big pillar in the middle and they go chasing each other around and around it. The other me always latches onto the right word and this me absolutely never catches up

I get a lot of people complaining about my ambiguity, often in cases which there is nothing ambigous at all. As far as I can see, people read it when they were half stoned and listening to the TV. Then they come back and say gee, it's impossible to figure out what's going on in a story.

How was I to know? ... You didn't say anything.""I said lots of things," he corrected gently. "You just didn't hear them.

Let it go on record that any confusion arose simply because we lacked certain commonalities of reference.

Inconceivable!" "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

I just said what I said and it was wrong. Or it was taken wrong. And now it's all this.

I have not the pleasure of understanding you.