--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We must first listen, then speak - with…" description: "\"We must first listen, then speak - with humility - to genuinely hear the perspectives of those with whom we don't immediately or instinctively agree.\" ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9a/betsy-devos-7178_agree_we-must-first-listen-then-speak-with-hum_2971106.jpg" --- # We must first listen, then speak - with humility - to… ![“We must first listen, then speak - with humility - to genuinely hear the perspectives of those with whom we don't immediately or instinctively agree.” quote by Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9a/betsy-devos-7178_agree_we-must-first-listen-then-speak-with-hum_2971106.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9a/betsy-devos-7178_agree_we-must-first-listen-then-speak-with-hum_2971106.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9a/betsy-devos-7178_agree_we-must-first-listen-then-speak-with-hum_2971106.jpg) > “We must first listen, then speak - with humility - to genuinely hear the perspectives of those with whom we don't immediately or instinctively agree.” [Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Listening first, then speaking humbly, helps truly understand opposing viewpoints. **In simple terms:** Listen before you speak. Key Takeaway Practice humility in dialogue. Themes communication humility listening dialogue conflict resolution Mood thoughtful respectful Type educational philosophical When to use this quote - team meetings - political debates - community forums - family discussions - negotiations Key Concepts active listening empathetic engagement perspective taking Questions to Reflect On - How can you ensure you genuinely hear the other side? - What steps help move from listening to constructive action? A Different Perspective Listening may not change deeply held beliefs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agree/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [First](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first/) [Genuinely Hear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genuinely-hear-4574656/) [Hear Perspectives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hear-perspectives-4574655/) [Humility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humility/) [Humility Genuinely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humility-genuinely-4574657/) [Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speak/) [Speak Humility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speak-humility-3589106/) [Those](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/those/) ## Related quotes > [A lot of my friends - I am the only white person in their circle. Being able to hear other perspectives besides the white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-mineo/a-lot-of-my-friends-i-am-the-only-white-person-in-their-circle-being/) [Andy Mineo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-mineo/) > [But I still feel like a normal person... I've walked the streets and I know what it feels like. I speak with humility, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cee-lo-green/but-i-still-feel-like-a-normal-person-i-ve-walked-the-streets-and-i/) [Cee Lo Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cee-lo-green/) > [We must speak with all the humility that is appropriate to our limited vision, but we must speak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/we-must-speak-with-all-the-humility-that-is-appropriate-to-our/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Men sometimes speak as if humility and meekness would rob us of what is noble and bold and manlike. O that all would believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-murray/men-sometimes-speak-as-if-humility-and-meekness-would-rob-us-of-what/) [Andrew Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-murray/) > [The recent statement of your executive committee are the sentiments of my own heart and I found myself in full accord when I read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-recent-statement-of-your-executive-committee-are-the-sentiments/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Christianity is not a matter of persuading people of particular ideas, but of inviting them to share in the greatness of Christ. So pray…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignatius-of-antioch/christianity-is-not-a-matter-of-persuading-people-of-particular-ideas/) [Ignatius of Antioch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignatius-of-antioch/) > [“Some of us who have already begun to break the silence of the night have found that the calling to speak is often a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/some-of-us-who-have-already-begun-to-break-the-silence-of-the-night/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [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/) > [Never be afraid of doing the thing you know in your heart is right, even if others don't agree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/never-be-afraid-of-doing-the-thing-you-know-in-your-heart-is-right/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [Climate change poses clear, catastrophic threats. We may not agree on the extent, but we certainly can't afford the risk of inaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/climate-change-poses-clear-catastrophic-threats-we-may-not-agree-on/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I talk to fashion designers and say I want some money to save the rainforest, and they say, 'Oh, I agree with you completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-westwood/i-talk-to-fashion-designers-and-say-i-want-some-money-to-save-the/) [Vivienne Westwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-westwood/) > [“All these creatures spend their time explaining, realizing happily that they agree with each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/all-these-creatures-spend-their-time-explaining-realizing-happily/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/) [Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/) > [Any comprehensive doctrine, religious or secular, can be introduced into any political argument at any time, but I argue that people who do this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rawls/any-comprehensive-doctrine-religious-or-secular-can-be-introduced/) [John Rawls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rawls/) ## More by Betsy DeVos > [Government likes committees... a lot. Committees kill all the really good ideas and generally all the really bad ideas. They produce middle-ground mush.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/government-likes-committees-a-lot-committees-kill-all-the-really-good/) [Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) > [Social justice and economics are both issues to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/social-justice-and-economics-are-both-issues-to-me/) [Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) > [Federal law must be followed where federal dollars are in play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/federal-law-must-be-followed-where-federal-dollars-are-in-play/) [Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) > [It shouldn't matter what type of school a student attends, so long as the school is the right fit for that student.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/it-shouldn-t-matter-what-type-of-school-a-student-attends-so-long-as/) [Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) > [If you can't get cell phone service in your living room, then your particular provider is failing you. You should have the option to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/if-you-can-t-get-cell-phone-service-in-your-living-room-then-your/) [Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) > [President-elect Trump and I know it won't be Washington, D.C., that unlocks our nation's potential, nor a bigger bureaucracy, tougher mandates, or a federal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/president-elect-trump-and-i-know-it-won-t-be-washington-d-c-that/) [Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) > [There are not enough philanthropic dollars in America to fund what is currently the need in education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/there-are-not-enough-philanthropic-dollars-in-america-to-fund-what-is/) [Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) > [I can assure you I have never made decisions on my mother's behalf on her foundation's board.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/i-can-assure-you-i-have-never-made-decisions-on-my-mother-s-behalf-on/) [Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) > [We can focus on differences that divide us, or we can choose to listen and learn from each other's experiences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/we-can-focus-on-differences-that-divide-us-or-we-can-choose-to-listen/) [Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) > [Opening a complaint for investigation in no way implies that the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has made a determination about the merits of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/opening-a-complaint-for-investigation-in-no-way-implies-that-the/) [Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) > [That's where my heart has been for three decades is to really empower and allow all families the same kind of opportunities I've had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/that-s-where-my-heart-has-been-for-three-decades-is-to-really-empower/) [Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) > [No student should feel like there isn't a way to seek justice, and no student should feel that the scales are tipped against him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/no-student-should-feel-like-there-isn-t-a-way-to-seek-justice-and-no/) [Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) > [Where conflicts are identified, they will be resolved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/where-conflicts-are-identified-they-will-be-resolved/) [Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) > [It could be easy to get frustrated or discouraged when it comes to educating students with disabilities. But that's because there are too often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/it-could-be-easy-to-get-frustrated-or-discouraged-when-it-comes-to/) [Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) > [Government tends to stifle innovation, and it abhors improvisation. Any good military strategist will tell you that a battle plan rarely survives past the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/government-tends-to-stifle-innovation-and-it-abhors-improvisation-any/) [Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) [Explore all 94 Betsy DeVos quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) ## More Agree quotes > [Any comprehensive doctrine, religious or secular, can be introduced into any political argument at any time, but I argue that people who do this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rawls/any-comprehensive-doctrine-religious-or-secular-can-be-introduced/) [John Rawls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rawls/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/) [Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/) > [“All these creatures spend their time explaining, realizing happily that they agree with each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/all-these-creatures-spend-their-time-explaining-realizing-happily/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [I talk to fashion designers and say I want some money to save the rainforest, and they say, 'Oh, I agree with you completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-westwood/i-talk-to-fashion-designers-and-say-i-want-some-money-to-save-the/) [Vivienne Westwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-westwood/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Climate change poses clear, catastrophic threats. We may not agree on the extent, but we certainly can't afford the risk of inaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/climate-change-poses-clear-catastrophic-threats-we-may-not-agree-on/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [Never be afraid of doing the thing you know in your heart is right, even if others don't agree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/never-be-afraid-of-doing-the-thing-you-know-in-your-heart-is-right/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [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/) > [ I will not agree to have this bill \[to repeal DADT \] go forward, because our economy is in the tank. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-will-not-agree-to-have-this-bill-to-repeal-dadt-go-forward-because/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [“I tend to agree with that little devil more and more these days.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-casey/i-tend-to-agree-with-that-little-devil-more-and-more-these-days/) [Elle Casey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-casey/) > [People might not agree with me, but I think a woman should have a feminine shape, something you can get your hands on. You,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/people-might-not-agree-with-me-but-i-think-a-woman-should-have-a/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [On 9-11, we discovered that we cannot escape from the world. To me personally, this was a life-changing experience, and I realized, as did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/on-9-11-we-discovered-that-we-cannot-escape-from-the-world-to-me/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [But I would say if the Security Council is only relevant if it agrees with the United States, then we have come a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-blix/but-i-would-say-if-the-security-council-is-only-relevant-if-it-agrees/) [Hans Blix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-blix/) > [We're never all going to agree with each other. We have to learn to value the diversity. It's one of the presumable principles of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/we-re-never-all-going-to-agree-with-each-other-we-have-to-learn-to/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [A contract is an ask game, and if it asks for an hour, and I submit to an hour, then it's an hour. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-berry/a-contract-is-an-ask-game-and-if-it-asks-for-an-hour-and-i-submit-to/) [Chuck Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-berry/) [Browse all 3,079 Agree quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agree/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We must first listen, then speak - with humility - to genuinely hear the perspectives of those with whom we don't immediately or instinctively agree.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Betsy DeVos" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/we-must-first-listen-then-speak-with-humility-to-genuinely-hear-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Agree" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/we-must-first-listen-then-speak-with-humility-to-genuinely-hear-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9a/betsy-devos-7178_agree_we-must-first-listen-then-speak-with-hum_2971106.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9a/betsy-devos-7178_agree_we-must-first-listen-then-speak-with-hum_2971106.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9a/betsy-devos-7178_agree_we-must-first-listen-then-speak-with-hum_2971106.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We must first listen, then speak - with humility - to genuinely hear the perspectives of those with whom we…” — Betsy DeVos", "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": "Betsy DeVos", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We must first listen, then speak...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/we-must-first-listen-then-speak-with-humility-to-genuinely-hear-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/we-must-first-listen-then-speak-with-humility-to-genuinely-hear-the/#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 } } ] } ```