--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is true I do not speak as well as I…" description: "\"“It is true I do not speak as well as I can think. But that is true of most people, as nearly as I can tell. ”\" — Barbara Kingsolver" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bb/barbara-kingsolver-200_people_it-is-true-i-do-not-speak-as-well-as-i-c_940883.png" --- # It is true I do not speak as well as I can think. But that… ![“It is true I do not speak as well as I can think. But that is true of most people, as nearly as I can tell.” quote by Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bb/barbara-kingsolver-200_people_it-is-true-i-do-not-speak-as-well-as-i-c_940883.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bb/barbara-kingsolver-200_people_it-is-true-i-do-not-speak-as-well-as-i-c_940883.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bb/barbara-kingsolver-200_people_it-is-true-i-do-not-speak-as-well-as-i-c_940883.png) > ““It is true I do not speak as well as I can think. But that is true of most people, as nearly as I can tell. ”” [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Acknowledges the gap between thought and spoken expression, a common human limitation. **In simple terms:** Thinking is clearer than speaking. Key Takeaway Bridge thought and speech. Themes communication self‑awareness authenticity introspection Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - public speaking - writing drafts - team meetings - personal reflection Key Concepts cognitive dissonance language processing self‑expression Questions to Reflect On - What steps help you translate ideas into words? - How does listening improve your own expression? A Different Perspective Improving articulation may require practice and confidence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Nearly Tell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nearly-tell-1606513/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speak/) [Speak Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speak-think-439230/) [Think True](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-true/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [True Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-speak-1413456/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) ## Related quotes > [“If it is not clean, do not think it; if it is not true, do not speak it; if it is not good, do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-e-asay/if-it-is-not-clean-do-not-think-it-if-it-is-not-true-do-not-speak-it/) [Carlos E. Asay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-e-asay/) > [“Before you speak "THINK" T- Is it "True"? H- Is it "Humble"? I- Is it "Inspirational"? N- Is it "Natural"? K- Is it "Knowledgeable"?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhinav-kushwaha/before-you-speak-think-t-is-it-true-h-is-it-humble-i-is-it/) [Abhinav Kushwaha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhinav-kushwaha/) > [Before you speak, THINK, T - is it true? H - is it helpful? I - is it inspiring? N - is it necessary?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/before-you-speak-think-t-is-it-true-h-is-it-helpful-i-is-it-inspiring/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [What is more true than anything else? To swim is true and to sink is true. One cannot speak any more of being, one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/what-is-more-true-than-anything-else-to-swim-is-true-and-to-sink-is/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [Science and technology multiply around us. To an increasing extent they dictate the languages in which we speak and think. Either we use those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard/science-and-technology-multiply-around-us-to-an-increasing-extent/) [J. G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard/) > [I do not speak as I think, I do not think as I should, and so it all goes on in helpless darkness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/i-do-not-speak-as-i-think-i-do-not-think-as-i-should-and-so-it-all/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [Such being the happiness of the times, that you may think as you wish, and speak as you think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tacitus/such-being-the-happiness-of-the-times-that-you-may-think-as-you-wish/) [Tacitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tacitus/) > [Think before you speak but do not speak everything that you think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/think-before-you-speak-but-do-not-speak-everything-that-you-think/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [I wish that all those, who on this night are not merry enough to speak before they think, may ever after be grave enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-radcliffe/i-wish-that-all-those-who-on-this-night-are-not-merry-enough-to-speak/) [Ann Radcliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-radcliffe/) > [Think before you speak is criticism's motto; speak before you think, creation's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-forster/think-before-you-speak-is-criticism-s-motto-speak-before-you-think/) [E. M. Forster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-forster/) > [Man does not speak because he thinks; he thinks because he speaks. Or rather, speaking is no different than thinking: to speak is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/man-does-not-speak-because-he-thinks-he-thinks-because-he-speaks-or/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [If you think before you speak, and you think before you act and you think about me and the love we share everything will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-think-before-you-speak-and-you-think-before-you-act-and-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Think before you speak. Think before you judge. Think before you think you have a person all figured out...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-collins/think-before-you-speak-think-before-you-judge-think-before-you-think/) [Lily Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-collins/) > [I suppose it goes without saying that negative speaking so often flows from negative thinking about ourselves. We see our own faults, we speak--or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/i-suppose-it-goes-without-saying-that-negative-speaking-so-often/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Before you assume, learn the facts. Before you judge, understand why. Before you speak, think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/before-you-assume-learn-the-facts-before-you-judge-understand-why-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Barbara Kingsolver > [“Jesus was a more reliable backer, evidently, less likely to drink himself unconscious or get liver cancer. No wonder people chose Him as their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/jesus-was-a-more-reliable-backer-evidently-less-likely-to-drink/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Now I'm starting to think he wasn't supposed to be my whole life, he was just this doorway to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/now-i-m-starting-to-think-he-wasn-t-supposed-to-be-my-whole-life-he/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Cooking is 80 percent confidence, a skill best acquired starting from when the apron strings wrap around you twice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/cooking-is-80-percent-confidence-a-skill-best-acquired-starting-from/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“In Bobby Ogle's version of heaven everyone would wind up in one place, criminals and Muslims included.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/in-bobby-ogle-s-version-of-heaven-everyone-would-wind-up-in-one-place/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“Weeds are job security for the gardener.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/weeds-are-job-security-for-the-gardener/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“It's what you do that makes your soul, not the other way around.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/it-s-what-you-do-that-makes-your-soul-not-the-other-way-around/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“Lusa turned to Crys, her eyes shining. "That was a luna." Crys shrugged. "So?" "So? So what? You want it should sing, too?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/lusa-turned-to-crys-her-eyes-shining-that-was-a-luna-crys-shrugged-so/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [The strength of motherhood is greater than natural laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/the-strength-of-motherhood-is-greater-than-natural-laws/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“An imperfectly remembered life is a useless treachery. Every day, more fragments of the past roll around heavily in the chambers of an empty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/an-imperfectly-remembered-life-is-a-useless-treachery-every-day-more/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Respecting the dignity of a spectacular food means enjoying it at its best. Europeans celebrate the short season of abundant asparagus as a form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/respecting-the-dignity-of-a-spectacular-food-means-enjoying-it-at-its/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“Somehow it had come to pass that this man was her whole world, and she had failed to take his measure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/somehow-it-had-come-to-pass-that-this-man-was-her-whole-world-and-she/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [After 'The Poisonwood Bible' was published, several people believed that my parents were missionaries, which could not be further from the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/after-the-poisonwood-bible-was-published-several-people-believed-that/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [I can count all the ways in which being a mother has enriched my understanding of the world, of character, my sense of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/i-can-count-all-the-ways-in-which-being-a-mother-has-enriched-my/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [But we've all ended up giving body and soul to Africa, one way or another. Even Adah, who's becoming an expert in tropical epidemiology…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/but-we-ve-all-ended-up-giving-body-and-soul-to-africa-one-way-or/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [If the Lord hasn't got a boyfriend lined up for me to marry, that's his business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/if-the-lord-hasn-t-got-a-boyfriend-lined-up-for-me-to-marry-that-s/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) [Explore all 939 Barbara Kingsolver quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) ## More People quotes > [If I am going to be phased out by whatever powers, then I want people to know that it is not because I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parvathy/if-i-am-going-to-be-phased-out-by-whatever-powers-then-i-want-people/) [Parvathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parvathy/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [I wanted to write about voodoo tradition that I feel has been very important to survival of black people here: people of the African…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-wanted-to-write-about-voodoo-tradition-that-i-feel-has-been-very/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [I feel like I definitely have a real sporty style, more so than a lot of people in G.O.O.D. Music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/i-feel-like-i-definitely-have-a-real-sporty-style-more-so-than-a-lot/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [I feel like the future is unwritten. So many of the things that we write now haven't been about educating people on the environment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/i-feel-like-the-future-is-unwritten-so-many-of-the-things-that-we/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [The only people who think the Internet is a calamity are people whose lives have been hurt by it; the only people who insist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-only-people-who-think-the-internet-is-a-calamity-are-people-whose/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [Crony capitalism is essentially a condition in which... public officials are giving favours to people in the private sector in payment of political favours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/crony-capitalism-is-essentially-a-condition-in-which-public-officials/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/) [Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/) > [For us who are now in power, we need to be challenged to serve the people and ignore our own egos and personal interests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/for-us-who-are-now-in-power-we-need-to-be-challenged-to-serve-the/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [When I was trying to come up with a stage name, I thought 'Lord' was super rad, but really masculine - ever since I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorde/when-i-was-trying-to-come-up-with-a-stage-name-i-thought-lord-was/) [Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorde/) > [By eating many fruits and vegetables in place of fast food and junk food, people could avoid obesity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-murdock/by-eating-many-fruits-and-vegetables-in-place-of-fast-food-and-junk/) [David H. Murdock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-murdock/) > [Some people give you that motivation to work harder simply to get the hell away from wherever they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-cook/some-people-give-you-that-motivation-to-work-harder-simply-to-get-the/) [Dane Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-cook/) > [Pain is meant to wake us up. People try to hide their pain. But they're wrong. Pain is something to carry, like a radio.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-morrison/pain-is-meant-to-wake-us-up-people-try-to-hide-their-pain-but-they-re/) [Jim Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-morrison/) [Browse all 211,607 People quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It is true I do not speak as well as I can think. 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