Silences, as every observer knows, have strange characteristics all their own - passionate silences, and hateful silences, and silences full of friendly, purring content.

Listening is not merely not talking, though even that is beyond most of our powers; it means taking a vigorous, human interest in what is being told us.

People love to talk but hate to listen.

Love will not always linger longest with those who hold it in too clenched a fist.

Hate is perhaps the most dynamic of all emotions - fear may immobilize, love may stay the hand, but hate urges to action.

Conversation is a partnership, not a relation of master and slave, as most people try to make it.

It is among the commonplaces of education that we often first cut off the living root and then try to replace its natural functions by artificial means. Thus we suppress the child's curiosity and then when he lacks a natural interest in learning he is offered special coaching for his scholastic difficulties.