---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People speak because they are afraid of…"
description: "\"People speak because they are afraid of silence. They speak mechanically whether aloud or to themselves. They are intoxicated by this vocal gruel that ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79c/andre-makine-22791_fine_people-speak-because-they-are-afraid-of_2789750.png"
---

#  People speak because they are afraid of silence. They…

![“People speak because they are afraid of silence. They speak mechanically whether aloud or to themselves. They are intoxicated by this vocal gruel that ensnares every object and every being. They talk about rain and fine weather; they talk about money, about love, about nothing. And even when they…” quote by Andreï Makine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79c/andre-makine-22791_fine_people-speak-because-they-are-afraid-of_2789750.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79c/andre-makine-22791_fine_people-speak-because-they-are-afraid-of_2789750.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79c/andre-makine-22791_fine_people-speak-because-they-are-afraid-of_2789750.png)

> “People speak because they are afraid of silence. They speak mechanically whether aloud or to themselves. They are intoxicated by this vocal gruel that ensnares every object and every being. They talk about rain and fine weather; they talk about money, about love, about nothing. And even when they are talking about their most exalted love, they use words uttered a hundred times, threadbare phrases.”

[Andreï Makine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-makine/)

## About This Quote

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

People fill silence with endless chatter, often using empty phrases, masking deeper thoughts and emotions.

**In simple terms:** We talk to avoid silence, but often say meaningless things.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and value meaningful silence.

Themes

communication silence language human behavior emptiness

Mood

contemplative quiet introspective

Type

philosophical literary

When to use this quote

- personal introspection
- therapy sessions
- creative writing
- mindful meditation

Key Concepts

psychology of speech social masks existential reflection

Questions to Reflect On

- What does your inner voice say when you are silent?
- How can you differentiate between needed speech and empty chatter?

A Different Perspective

Silence can be uncomfortable and may be misinterpreted as hostility.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Fine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fine/) [Fine weather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fine-weather/) [Hundred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hundred/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-speak/) [Phrases](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phrases/) [Rain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rain/) [Silence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silence/) [Silence Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silence-speak-1021580/) [Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speak/) [Speak Afraid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speak-afraid-953810/) [Talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talking/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Weather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weather/) [Words Uttered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-uttered-371279/)

## Related quotes

> [I'm afraid to close my eyes coz I might think of you... I'm afraid to open them coz I might see you... I'm afraid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-afraid-to-close-my-eyes-coz-i-might-think-of-you-i-m-afraid-to/)

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

> [Most people are good people. But they're afraid to speak out, they're afraid for their safety and their jobs. And unfortunately that dictates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-shenk/most-people-are-good-people-but-they-re-afraid-to-speak-out-they-re/)

[Jon Shenk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-shenk/)

> [And when the sun rises we are afraid it might not remain when the sun sets we are afraid it might not rise in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/and-when-the-sun-rises-we-are-afraid-it-might-not-remain-when-the-sun/)

[Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/)

> [“We can learn to work and speak when we are afraid in the same way we have learned to work and speak when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/college-of-st-catherine-staff/we-can-learn-to-work-and-speak-when-we-are-afraid-in-the-same-way-we-2/)

[College of St. Catherine Staff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/college-of-st-catherine-staff/)

> [I'm afraid to close my eyes cause I might think of you, I'm afraid to open them cause I might see you, I'm afraid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/praise-jonathan/i-m-afraid-to-close-my-eyes-cause-i-might-think-of-you-i-m-afraid-to/)

[Praise Jonathan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/praise-jonathan/)

> [“I'm so afraid to speak. So afraid to move my lips. I'm so scared that if I move even an inch, my body will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/i-m-so-afraid-to-speak-so-afraid-to-move-my-lips-i-m-so-scared-that/)

[Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/)

> [“We can learn to work and speak when we are afraid in the same way we have learned to work and speak when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/we-can-learn-to-work-and-speak-when-we-are-afraid-in-the-same-way-we/)

[Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/)

> [I want to speak for people who can't speak; they're afraid to speak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-abstract/i-want-to-speak-for-people-who-can-t-speak-they-re-afraid-to-speak/)

[Kevin Abstract](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-abstract/)

> [When we speak we are afraid our words will not be heard or welcomed. But when we are silent, we are still afraid. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/when-we-speak-we-are-afraid-our-words-will-not-be-heard-or-welcomed/)

[Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/)

> [“and when we speak we are afraid our words will not be heard nor welcomed but when we are silent we are still afraid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/and-when-we-speak-we-are-afraid-our-words-will-not-be-heard-nor/)

[Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/)

> [Courage doesn't mean being free from fear; it means learning to work through fear and speak even when we are afraid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-brooks/courage-doesn-t-mean-being-free-from-fear-it-means-learning-to-work/)

[Joanna Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-brooks/)

> [If you cannot improve upon the silence, do not speak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rose/if-you-cannot-improve-upon-the-silence-do-not-speak/)

[Chris Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rose/)

> [“Silence will speak If given an ear; Stillness is the movement Of our atmosphere; Circles have sides When we draw the line; Death is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alaina-odessa/silence-will-speak-if-given-an-ear-stillness-is-the-movement-of-our/)

[Alaina Odessa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alaina-odessa/)

> [It is very hard to live with silence. The real silence is death and this is terrible. To approach this silence, it is necessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmond-jab-s/it-is-very-hard-to-live-with-silence-the-real-silence-is-death-and/)

[Edmond Jabes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmond-jab-s/)

> [The law of silence: Speak little. Say only what you must. Speak only when necessary. Your oratory should be deeds, not words. You accomplish:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corneliu-zelea-codreanu/the-law-of-silence-speak-little-say-only-what-you-must-speak-only/)

[Corneliu Zelea Codreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corneliu-zelea-codreanu/)

## More by Andreï Makine

> [“This sacrifice, which saved his life, reminded him again that the evil of this world could be put to rout by the will of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-makine/this-sacrifice-which-saved-his-life-reminded-him-again-that-the-evil/)

[Andreï Makine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-makine/)

> [The fatal mistake we make is looking for a paradise that endures...This obsession with what lasts causes us to overlook many a fleeting paradise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-makine/the-fatal-mistake-we-make-is-looking-for-a-paradise-that-endures-this/)

[Andreï Makine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-makine/)

> [“Volsky once more had the feeling that the bond between them was indifferent to the demise of bodies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-makine/volsky-once-more-had-the-feeling-that-the-bond-between-them-was/)

[Andreï Makine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-makine/)

> [“Men can be pitiless towards a woman whose body has eluded them, particularly if this is thanks to their own cowardice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-makine/men-can-be-pitiless-towards-a-woman-whose-body-has-eluded-them/)

[Andreï Makine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-makine/)

> [“The life these words speak of is not worth the ink they are written in… He now knows that the only words worth writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-makine/the-life-these-words-speak-of-is-not-worth-the-ink-they-are-written/)

[Andreï Makine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-makine/)

> [...she studies to be equal in a world that is no longer surprised at anything](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-makine/she-studies-to-be-equal-in-a-world-that-is-no-longer-surprised-at/)

[Andreï Makine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-makine/)

> [“As his hands fell upon the keyboard, it was still possible to believe a beautiful harmony had been formed at random, in spite of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-makine/as-his-hands-fell-upon-the-keyboard-it-was-still-possible-to-believe/)

[Andreï Makine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-makine/)

> [“That apple orchard is still in flower," I told myself. "Time has passed it by, leaving it behind in a moment that does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-makine/that-apple-orchard-is-still-in-flower-i-told-myself-time-has-passed/)

[Andreï Makine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-makine/)

> [“He had already come to see human lives as one single communal life and it was perhaps this perception that gave him hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-makine/he-had-already-come-to-see-human-lives-as-one-single-communal-life/)

[Andreï Makine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-makine/)

> [“An exile's only country is his country's literature.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-makine/an-exile-s-only-country-is-his-country-s-literature/)

[Andreï Makine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-makine/)

> [“The though revives in him the oldest memory of his life. A child sees a door closing: without knowing who it is that has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-makine/the-though-revives-in-him-the-oldest-memory-of-his-life-a-child-sees/)

[Andreï Makine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-makine/)

> [“Once again, without explaining anything, they understood that they must leave. Go away before this world woke up and continued with a life from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-makine/once-again-without-explaining-anything-they-understood-that-they-must/)

[Andreï Makine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-makine/)

> [“This happiness rendered absurd men's desire to dominate, to kill, to possess, thought Volsky. For neither Mila nor he possessed anything. Their joy came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-makine/this-happiness-rendered-absurd-men-s-desire-to-dominate-to-kill-to/)

[Andreï Makine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-makine/)

> [“Historians rewrite the truth every day. What interests us is the truth that gets the reader to reach for his wallet”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-makine/historians-rewrite-the-truth-every-day-what-interests-us-is-the-truth/)

[Andreï Makine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-makine/)

> [“All of this seemed equally trifling to him now. And when he thought again about the world of free people, the difference between it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-makine/all-of-this-seemed-equally-trifling-to-him-now-and-when-he-thought/)

[Andreï Makine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-makine/)

[Explore all 20 Andreï Makine quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-makine/)

## More Fine quotes

> [ I\] k\[n\]ow youre b\[e\]tt\[e\]r off without me. \[D\]ont worr\[y\] ab\[o\]\[u\]t me. Im fine. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tinku-razoria/i-k-n-ow-youre-b-e-tt-e-r-off-without-me-d-ont-worr-y-ab-o-u-t-me-im/)

[Tinku Razoria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tinku-razoria/)

> [To hurry through the rise and fall of a fine, full sentence is like defying the role of time in human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clark/to-hurry-through-the-rise-and-fall-of-a-fine-full-sentence-is-like/)

[Kenneth Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clark/)

> [I'm Fine!, the most common LIE in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/punkinhead-abhishek/i-m-fine-the-most-common-lie-in-the-world/)

[Punkinhead Abhishek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/punkinhead-abhishek/)

> [Some shows just go away - and that's fine. They serve their purpose and their entertainment value, but there are shows that touch people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cudlitz/some-shows-just-go-away-and-that-s-fine-they-serve-their-purpose-and/)

[Michael Cudlitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cudlitz/)

> [The Germans will make a few scattered attacks, then go away. The Romans will enjoy a fine September.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pietro-badoglio/the-germans-will-make-a-few-scattered-attacks-then-go-away-the-romans/)

[Pietro Badoglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pietro-badoglio/)

> [Just be what it is that you are, and that is just fine. You don't have to be what you're not in any way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/just-be-what-it-is-that-you-are-and-that-is-just-fine-you-don-t-have/)

[Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/)

> [But I saw the pain and sadness in everything, and swirled it round my mouth like a fine wine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-forrest/but-i-saw-the-pain-and-sadness-in-everything-and-swirled-it-round-my/)

[Emma Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-forrest/)

> [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/)

[Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/)

> [“I'm fine," said Pilar, "for the moment. And the moment is the only time we can be fine in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/i-m-fine-said-pilar-for-the-moment-and-the-moment-is-the-only-time-we/)

[Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/)

> [Here comes old Rosie she's looking mighty fine, here comes hot Nancy she's steppin' right on time. There go the street lights bringing on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-seger/here-comes-old-rosie-she-s-looking-mighty-fine-here-comes-hot-nancy/)

[Bob Seger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-seger/)

> [It's still possible to savor the remarkable foods that millennia of human ingenuity have teased from milk. A sip of milk itself or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-mcgee/it-s-still-possible-to-savor-the-remarkable-foods-that-millennia-of/)

[Harold McGee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-mcgee/)

> [Another success is the post-office, with its educating energy augmented by cheapness and guarded by a certain religious sentimentin mankind; so that the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/another-success-is-the-post-office-with-its-educating-energy/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [It's fine to talk about politics with people you agree with. But it is rude to argue about politics with people you disagree with.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/it-s-fine-to-talk-about-politics-with-people-you-agree-with-but-it-is/)

[Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/)

> [Comedy, although it is not one of the fine arts - it's a vulgar art, it's one of the people's arts, it's the spoken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/comedy-although-it-is-not-one-of-the-fine-arts-it-s-a-vulgar-art-it-s/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

> [School plays are fine. Theater in school is fine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-affleck/school-plays-are-fine-theater-in-school-is-fine/)

[Ben Affleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-affleck/)

[Browse all 5,340 Fine quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fine/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "People speak because they are afraid of silence. They speak mechanically whether aloud or to themselves. They are intoxicated by this vocal gruel that ensnares every object and every being. They talk about rain and fine weather; they talk about money, about love, about nothing. And even when they are talking about their most exalted love, they use words uttered a hundred times, threadbare phrases.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Andreï Makine"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-makine/people-speak-because-they-are-afraid-of-silence-they-speak/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Fine"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-makine/people-speak-because-they-are-afraid-of-silence-they-speak/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79c/andre-makine-22791_fine_people-speak-because-they-are-afraid-of_2789750.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79c/andre-makine-22791_fine_people-speak-because-they-are-afraid-of_2789750.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79c/andre-makine-22791_fine_people-speak-because-they-are-afraid-of_2789750.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“People speak because they are afraid of silence. They speak mechanically whether aloud or to themselves…” — Andreï Makine",
                "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": "Andreï Makine",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-makine/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "People speak because they are afraid...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-makine/people-speak-because-they-are-afraid-of-silence-they-speak/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-makine/people-speak-because-they-are-afraid-of-silence-they-speak/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
