Shunryu Suzuki Quotes

Honest communication is a rare thing.

The sheer act of listening speaks volumes that even a great speech can't communicate.

Sometimes one has to say difficult things, but one ought to say them as simply as one knows how.

Surely human affairs would be far happier if the power in men to be silent were the same as that to speak.

To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.

The key to high-quality communication is trust, and it's hard to trust somebody that you don't know.

I like chatting with people. If people ask me a direct question, I give them a direct answer and I feel I've always done that with the press.

There are things to confess that enrich the world, and things that need not be said.

To listen well is as powerful a means of communication and influence as to talk well.

I am, by nature, an honest person. I wear my emotions on my sleeve. There is no 'behind closed doors' with me.

What I do want is to be transparent about where I am and how I got here. I don't like the cone of silence - it didn't do me any favors in my 20s or 30s, and I don't see it doing much for other women, either.

In saying what is obvious, never choose cunning. Yelling works better.

Be still when you have nothing to say; when genuine passion moves you, say what you've got to say, and say it hot.

Oh, I talk about things; I drive my husband insane. And I can't tell a lie. Everyone knows. I do this smile thing.

I say what I mean. I don't speak in code. That's why I am a star and ace communicator.

Technology is a compulsive and addictive way to live. Verbal communication cannot be lost because of a lack of skill. The ability to listen and learn is key to mastering the art of communication. If you don't use your verbal skills and networking, it will disappear rapidly. Use technology wisely.

I've found that if I say what I'm really thinking and feeling, people are more likely to say what they really think and feel. The conversation becomes a real conversation.

Communication is so much better when people are vulnerable.

When you're in a conversation, genuinely be in it. Stare people in their eyes. Know what you're talking about. Enjoy that moment.

Why don't you talk, and go straight, and let all be well?

She was a genius at listening.

I think there's a great deal of information you can convey with looks or silence.

In my own personal career, I have felt almost the most difficult thing to deal with is someone who doesn't tell you what they are thinking.

Is it not important to find out how to listen not only to what is being said but to everything - to the noise in the streets, to the chatter of birds, to the noise of the tramcar, to the restless sea, to the voice of your husband, to your wife, to your friends, to the cry of a baby?

I try to be thoughtful when I speak but not edited. I make mistakes, but people like vulnerability.