---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Light travels faster than sound. This is…"
description: "\"Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.\" — Alan Dundes"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db4/alan-dundes-23442_faster_light-travels-faster-than-sound-this-is_1956235.png"
---

#  Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people…

![“Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.” quote by Alan Dundes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db4/alan-dundes-23442_faster_light-travels-faster-than-sound-this-is_1956235.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db4/alan-dundes-23442_faster_light-travels-faster-than-sound-this-is_1956235.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db4/alan-dundes-23442_faster_light-travels-faster-than-sound-this-is_1956235.png)

> “Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.”

[Alan Dundes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dundes/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

People may seem intelligent until they actually speak, revealing true competence.

**In simple terms:** Appearances can be deceiving.

Key Takeaway

Judge by actions, not first impressions.

Themes

perception communication intelligence

Mood

cautious reflective

Type

humorous observational

When to use this quote

- job interviews
- first dates
- public speaking
- team introductions

Key Concepts

cognitive bias social judgment

Questions to Reflect On

- What assumptions do you make about others quickly?
- How can you give people a chance to prove themselves?

A Different Perspective

Some may improve after speaking; initial impression isn’t final.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/)

## Related quotes

> [“Light travels faster than sound. Isn't that why people appear bright before you hear them speak? ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/light-travels-faster-than-sound-isn-t-that-why-people-appear-bright/)

[Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/)

> [Since light travels faster than sound, people appear bright until you hear them speak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/since-light-travels-faster-than-sound-people-appear-bright-until-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Light travels faster than sound, thats why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/light-travels-faster-than-sound-thats-why-some-people-appear-bright/)

[Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/)

> [“We all know that light travels faster than sound. That's why certain people appear bright until you hear them speak.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/we-all-know-that-light-travels-faster-than-sound-that-s-why-certain/)

[Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/)

> [Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear to be bright until you hear them speak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-williams/since-light-travels-faster-than-sound-some-people-appear-to-be-bright/)

[Brian Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-williams/)

> [Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until they speak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/light-travels-faster-than-sound-this-is-why-some-people-appear-bright-2/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear brighter until you hear them speak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danialla-and-her-bff/light-travels-faster-than-sound-this-is-why-some-people-appear/)

DaniAlla And Her BFF

> [Boss: I just heard that light travels faster than sound. I'm wondering if I should shout when I speak, just so my lips appear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/boss-i-just-heard-that-light-travels-faster-than-sound-i-m-wondering/)

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

> [So when the night is cold and the sky ... they still can appear bright because. stars shine brightly,And you, yourself,people love the shining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silni-a-silma/so-when-the-night-is-cold-and-the-sky-they-still-can-appear-bright/)

[Silniña Silma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silni-a-silma/)

> [Even light, which travels so fast it takes most races thousands of years to realize that it travels at all, takes time to journey…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/even-light-which-travels-so-fast-it-takes-most-races-thousands-of/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [Truth can hardly be expected to adapt herself to the crooked policy and wily sinuosities of worldly affairs; for truth, like light, travels only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/truth-can-hardly-be-expected-to-adapt-herself-to-the-crooked-policy/)

[Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/)

> [Everything you see is based on fact of a event thats already happen, Even light only travels so fast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/everything-you-see-is-based-on-fact-of-a-event-thats-already-happen/)

[Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/)

> [“Light travels half away around the world while darkness is still putting its shoes on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/light-travels-half-away-around-the-world-while-darkness-is-still/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [“No matter how fast light travels it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/no-matter-how-fast-light-travels-it-finds-the-darkness-has-always-got/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“Light travels at 299,792,458 meters per second. And still, it takes a billion years to get here. That’s how big the universe is. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cutter/light-travels-at-299-792-458-meters-per-second-and-still-it-takes-a/)

[Nick Cutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cutter/)

## More by Alan Dundes

> [Folklore provides a socially sanctioned outlet for the discussion of the forbidden and taboo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dundes/folklore-provides-a-socially-sanctioned-outlet-for-the-discussion-of/)

[Alan Dundes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dundes/)

> [The class has become over the years fairly large, running to three hundred or more, but I always insist upon reading all the student…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dundes/the-class-has-become-over-the-years-fairly-large-running-to-three/)

[Alan Dundes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dundes/)

> [Their term project consists of a fieldwork collection of folklore that they create by interviewing family members, friends, or anyone they can manage to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dundes/their-term-project-consists-of-a-fieldwork-collection-of-folklore/)

[Alan Dundes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dundes/)

> [In the light of our culture, these are not unreasonable questions and tactics, but if once again, we try to see the lens through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dundes/in-the-light-of-our-culture-these-are-not-unreasonable-questions-and/)

[Alan Dundes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dundes/)

> [The study of folklore is largely the study of particular folklore genres: myth, folktale, legend, ballad, proverb, riddle, superstition, etc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dundes/the-study-of-folklore-is-largely-the-study-of-particular-folklore/)

[Alan Dundes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dundes/)

> [Cities all over the world are getting bigger as more and more people move from rural to urban sites, but that has created enormous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dundes/cities-all-over-the-world-are-getting-bigger-as-more-and-more-people/)

[Alan Dundes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dundes/)

> [I have a great advantage over many of my colleagues inasmuch as my students bring with them to class their own personal knowledge of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dundes/i-have-a-great-advantage-over-many-of-my-colleagues-inasmuch-as-my/)

[Alan Dundes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dundes/)

> [Americans do believe in progress and there is almost certainly a kernel of truth in the joke.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dundes/americans-do-believe-in-progress-and-there-is-almost-certainly-a/)

[Alan Dundes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dundes/)

> [Americans have a penchant for the future and tend to disregard the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dundes/americans-have-a-penchant-for-the-future-and-tend-to-disregard-the/)

[Alan Dundes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dundes/)

> [I mentioned that one of the tripartite formulas in American worldview involves time: past, present, and future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dundes/i-mentioned-that-one-of-the-tripartite-formulas-in-american-worldview/)

[Alan Dundes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dundes/)

> [My academic identity is that of a folklorist, and for many years I have taught only folklore courses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dundes/my-academic-identity-is-that-of-a-folklorist-and-for-many-years-i/)

[Alan Dundes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dundes/)

> [In my introductory course, Anthropology 160, the Forms of Folklore, I try to show the students what the major and minor genres of folklore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dundes/in-my-introductory-course-anthropology-160-the-forms-of-folklore-i/)

[Alan Dundes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dundes/)

> [As a folklorist, I have come to believe that no piece of folklore continues to be transmitted unless it means something - even if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dundes/as-a-folklorist-i-have-come-to-believe-that-no-piece-of-folklore/)

[Alan Dundes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dundes/)

> [Life, it seems, is nothing if not a series of initiations, transitions, and incorporations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dundes/life-it-seems-is-nothing-if-not-a-series-of-initiations-transitions/)

[Alan Dundes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dundes/)

> [I find all folklore challenging, and I never cease to be grateful that I became a professional folklorist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dundes/i-find-all-folklore-challenging-and-i-never-cease-to-be-grateful-that/)

[Alan Dundes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dundes/)

[Explore all 26 Alan Dundes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dundes/)

## More Faster quotes

> [The faster you go, the shorter you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-faster-you-go-the-shorter-you-are/)

[Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/)

> [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/)

[Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/)

> [The average condition of the people improving or deteriorating, depends upon whether population is advancing faster than improvement, or improvement than population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-average-condition-of-the-people-improving-or-deteriorating/)

[John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/)

> [Spirituality does not have to be serious. You are spirituality. Fun laughter heal you faster than anything. Introduce fun back into your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-moorjani/spirituality-does-not-have-to-be-serious-you-are-spirituality-fun/)

[Anita Moorjani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-moorjani/)

> [MOST TIMES WHEN WE ARE TOO FASTER THAN GOD,WE END UP PAYING OUR TRANSPORT BACK TO WAIT FOR HIM](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffery-iyonawan/most-times-when-we-are-too-faster-than-god-we-end-up-paying-our/)

[JEFFERY IYONAWAN](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffery-iyonawan/)

> [As for the piano, the faster her fingers flew over it, the more he marveled. She struck the keys with aplomb and ran from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/as-for-the-piano-the-faster-her-fingers-flew-over-it-the-more-he/)

[Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/)

> [You can tell the date of an old science fiction novel by every word on the page. Nothing dates harder and faster and more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-can-tell-the-date-of-an-old-science-fiction-novel-by-every-word/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [ Software gets slower faster than hardware gets faster. (Or, sometimes known by\] Grove \[the head of Intel\] giveth and Gates \[the head of Microsoft\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niklaus-wirth/software-gets-slower-faster-than-hardware-gets-faster-or-sometimes/)

[Niklaus Wirth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niklaus-wirth/)

> [“In fact, living with the mindset “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” may get you there quite a bit faster!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-de-sena/in-fact-living-with-the-mindset-i-ll-sleep-when-i-m-dead-may-get-you/)

[Joe De Sena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-de-sena/)

> [I do remember what I said. The promise. To protect her. If I'd done that ... even if I didn't make it, you wouldn't've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/i-do-remember-what-i-said-the-promise-to-protect-her-if-i-d-done-that/)

[Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/)

> [Tachyon OPC+ is a natural extension of our market-winning Tachyon platform, giving customers a clear path to minimizing the OPC error budget and producing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-vaughan/tachyon-opc-is-a-natural-extension-of-our-market-winning-tachyon/)

[Bill Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-vaughan/)

> [I think technology advanced faster than anticipated. In that whirlwind, a lot of companies didn't survive. The reason we have done well is because,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/i-think-technology-advanced-faster-than-anticipated-in-that-whirlwind/)

[Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/)

> [The machines need to get faster. They need to get cheaper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/the-machines-need-to-get-faster-they-need-to-get-cheaper/)

[Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/)

> [They always say girls mature faster than boys, but I don't think that's true because I think girls just are more mature than boys.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-reiner/they-always-say-girls-mature-faster-than-boys-but-i-don-t-think-that/)

[Rob Reiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-reiner/)

> [I'm a lot bigger than Faber, I'm pretty sure I'm a lot stronger than Faber and I'm pretty sure I'm a lot faster than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aljamain-sterling/i-m-a-lot-bigger-than-faber-i-m-pretty-sure-i-m-a-lot-stronger-than/)

[Aljamain Sterling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aljamain-sterling/)

Browse all 1,858 Faster quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Alan Dundes"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dundes/light-travels-faster-than-sound-this-is-why-some-people-appear-bright/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Faster"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dundes/light-travels-faster-than-sound-this-is-why-some-people-appear-bright/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db4/alan-dundes-23442_faster_light-travels-faster-than-sound-this-is_1956235.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db4/alan-dundes-23442_faster_light-travels-faster-than-sound-this-is_1956235.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db4/alan-dundes-23442_faster_light-travels-faster-than-sound-this-is_1956235.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.” — Alan Dundes",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Alan Dundes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dundes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Light travels faster than sound. This...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dundes/light-travels-faster-than-sound-this-is-why-some-people-appear-bright/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dundes/light-travels-faster-than-sound-this-is-why-some-people-appear-bright/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
