---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: From the moment I could talk I was…"
description: "\"From the moment I could talk I was ordered to listen.\" — Cat Stevens"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eae/cat-stevens-2683_communication_from-the-moment-i-could-talk-i-was-order_1644912.png"
---

#  From the moment I could talk I was ordered to listen.

![“From the moment I could talk I was ordered to listen.” quote by Cat Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eae/cat-stevens-2683_communication_from-the-moment-i-could-talk-i-was-order_1644912.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eae/cat-stevens-2683_communication_from-the-moment-i-could-talk-i-was-order_1644912.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eae/cat-stevens-2683_communication_from-the-moment-i-could-talk-i-was-order_1644912.png)

> “From the moment I could talk I was ordered to listen.”

[Cat Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-stevens/)

## About This Quote

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

From early childhood, listening was imposed, shaping attentive habits.

**In simple terms:** Ordered to listen from youth.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate active listening skills.

Themes

learning listening discipline

Mood

thoughtful inquisitive

Type

educational reflective

When to use this quote

- classroom settings
- family meals
- training sessions

Key Concepts

education parenting communication skills

Questions to Reflect On

- How does imposed listening affect creativity?
- When does listening become passive?

A Different Perspective

Forced listening may limit curiosity.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Listen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/listen/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Moment Talk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moment-talk-600265/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Ordered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ordered/) [Ordered Listen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ordered-listen-600264/) [Take your time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/take-your-time/) [Talk Ordered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talk-ordered-600263/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [Take your time, think a lot, Why, think of everything you've got. For you will still be here tomorrow, but your dreams may not.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-stevens/take-your-time-think-a-lot-why-think-of-everything-you-ve-got-for-you/)

[Cat Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-stevens/)

> [That awsome moment when you talk to the guy you love whos 5000 miles away for the first time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana/that-awsome-moment-when-you-talk-to-the-guy-you-love-whos-5000-miles/)

[Ana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana/)

> [Time was such an odd thing. One moment you could talk to someone, then suddenly, they were gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/time-was-such-an-odd-thing-one-moment-you-could-talk-to-someone-then/)

[Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/)

> [Now, therefore, the Directors of the company are hereby ordered to see that precautions are taken to make travel on said railroad perfectly safe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-a-norton/now-therefore-the-directors-of-the-company-are-hereby-ordered-to-see/)

[Joshua A. Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-a-norton/)

> [If you pray you will have your blessings ordered or delivered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-mahamooi/if-you-pray-you-will-have-your-blessings-ordered-or-delivered/)

[Dave Mahamooi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-mahamooi/)

> [We have ministers who are incapable of doing what has been ordered from above because there is no follow up, because there are no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/basmah-bint-saud/we-have-ministers-who-are-incapable-of-doing-what-has-been-ordered/)

[Basmah bint Saud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/basmah-bint-saud/)

> [We were never the family that ordered pizza, and my mom never came home with a bucket of fried chicken. My mom always made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haylie-duff/we-were-never-the-family-that-ordered-pizza-and-my-mom-never-came/)

[Haylie Duff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haylie-duff/)

> [I was ordered not to go out to Abu Ghraib after dark early on, because Abu Ghraib was extremely dangerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janis-karpinski/i-was-ordered-not-to-go-out-to-abu-ghraib-after-dark-early-on-because/)

[Janis Karpinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janis-karpinski/)

> [I quite clearly remember driving home at 9 a.m., after shooting all day, in a bathrobe, with bodypaint all over my face, and going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gotye/i-quite-clearly-remember-driving-home-at-9-a-m-after-shooting-all-day/)

[Gotye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gotye/)

> [“That afternoon I ordered an information packet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-dunham/that-afternoon-i-ordered-an-information-packet/)

[Jeff Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-dunham/)

> [I have killed no one and I have ordered no one to be killed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-manson/i-have-killed-no-one-and-i-have-ordered-no-one-to-be-killed/)

[Charles Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-manson/)

> [The mission statement was ordered, and it sent the 800th MP Brigade, effective the first of July, up to Baghdad. I joined my brigade…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janis-karpinski/the-mission-statement-was-ordered-and-it-sent-the-800th-mp-brigade/)

[Janis Karpinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janis-karpinski/)

> [If I could go, I would tell the truth to the North American people. President Reagan personally ordered my visa to be denied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomas-borge/if-i-could-go-i-would-tell-the-truth-to-the-north-american-people/)

[Tomas Borge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomas-borge/)

> [My mother 'gave teas' the way other mothers breathed. Her own mother 'gave teas.' All of their friends 'gave teas,' each involving butter cookies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/my-mother-gave-teas-the-way-other-mothers-breathed-her-own-mother/)

[Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/)

> [“Who is this ghost ordered into music?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuko-shiraishi/who-is-this-ghost-ordered-into-music/)

[Kazuko Shiraishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuko-shiraishi/)

## More by Cat Stevens

> [The spiritual quest was always the predominant aspect of my life. It's always been there. But there's also an incredible passion connected to it;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-stevens/the-spiritual-quest-was-always-the-predominant-aspect-of-my-life-it-s/)

[Cat Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-stevens/)

> [Music is part of God's universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-stevens/music-is-part-of-god-s-universe/)

[Cat Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-stevens/)

> [Some extremists take elements of the sacred scriptures out of context.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-stevens/some-extremists-take-elements-of-the-sacred-scriptures-out-of-context/)

[Cat Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-stevens/)

> [Knowledge is a thing you can carry around with you, but you may not apply it. Some knowledge is indiscriminate, and it can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-stevens/knowledge-is-a-thing-you-can-carry-around-with-you-but-you-may-not/)

[Cat Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-stevens/)

> [A person who steals bread during a famine is not treated as a thief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-stevens/a-person-who-steals-bread-during-a-famine-is-not-treated-as-a-thief/)

[Cat Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-stevens/)

> [Don't you feel a change a coming From another side of time, Breaking down the walls of silence, Lifting shadows from your mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-stevens/don-t-you-feel-a-change-a-coming-from-another-side-of-time-breaking/)

[Cat Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-stevens/)

> [I suppose that the media and their portrayal of Islam and the almost tribal separations and divisions of the Muslims are the greatest issues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-stevens/i-suppose-that-the-media-and-their-portrayal-of-islam-and-the-almost/)

[Cat Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-stevens/)

> [“You will still be here tomorrow, but your dreams may not.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-stevens/you-will-still-be-here-tomorrow-but-your-dreams-may-not/)

[Cat Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-stevens/)

> [There is a powerful need for people to feel that gust of hope rise up again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-stevens/there-is-a-powerful-need-for-people-to-feel-that-gust-of-hope-rise-up/)

[Cat Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-stevens/)

> [And if my mind breaks up In all so many ways I know the meaning of The words, "I love you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-stevens/and-if-my-mind-breaks-up-in-all-so-many-ways-i-know-the-meaning-of/)

[Cat Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-stevens/)

> [Find a girl, settle down, If you want you can marry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-stevens/find-a-girl-settle-down-if-you-want-you-can-marry/)

[Cat Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-stevens/)

> [Oh I can't keep it in; I can't keep it in, I've gotta let it out I've got to show the world; world's got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-stevens/oh-i-can-t-keep-it-in-i-can-t-keep-it-in-i-ve-gotta-let-it-out-i-ve/)

[Cat Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-stevens/)

> [I never thought I'd be on the same stage as Kiss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-stevens/i-never-thought-i-d-be-on-the-same-stage-as-kiss/)

[Cat Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-stevens/)

> [Miles from nowhere. Guess I'll take my time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-stevens/miles-from-nowhere-guess-i-ll-take-my-time/)

[Cat Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-stevens/)

> [Sun is the reason And the world it will bloom 'Cause sun lights the sky And the sun lights the moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-stevens/sun-is-the-reason-and-the-world-it-will-bloom-cause-sun-lights-the/)

[Cat Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-stevens/)

[Explore all 155 Cat Stevens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-stevens/)

## More Communication quotes

> [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 problem posed by indirect speech acts is the problem of how it is possible for the speaker to say one thing and mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-searle/the-problem-posed-by-indirect-speech-acts-is-the-problem-of-how-it-is/)

[John Searle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-searle/)

> [We should have a conversation when we hang up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-cumberbatch/we-should-have-a-conversation-when-we-hang-up/)

[Benedict Cumberbatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-cumberbatch/)

> [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [A poet is wounded into speech, and he examines these wounds, meticulously, to discover how to heal them. The bad poet harangues at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/a-poet-is-wounded-into-speech-and-he-examines-these-wounds/)

[Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/)

> [“To engage in dialogue is to serve others via whatever is real inside you; to engage in debate is to ultimately serve the illusions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oli-anderson/to-engage-in-dialogue-is-to-serve-others-via-whatever-is-real-inside/)

[Oli Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oli-anderson/)

> [What it comes down to for me is this: Will the technologies of communication in our culture, serve to enlighten us and help us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-waters/what-it-comes-down-to-for-me-is-this-will-the-technologies-of/)

[Roger Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-waters/)

> [In dialogue, there is opposition, yes, but no head-on collision. Smashing heads does not open minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-tannen/in-dialogue-there-is-opposition-yes-but-no-head-on-collision-smashing/)

[Deborah Tannen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-tannen/)

> [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/)

[Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/)

> [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/)

[Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/)

> [I've been in a serious conversation with one of my children, and a fan has come up. I've been in a public bathroom and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-reddy/i-ve-been-in-a-serious-conversation-with-one-of-my-children-and-a-fan/)

[Helen Reddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-reddy/)

> [Life as we know it is fundamentally unsatisfying. I think most folks feel this to be true. They know that a life of aimless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-yates/life-as-we-know-it-is-fundamentally-unsatisfying-i-think-most-folks/)

[Michael Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-yates/)

> [Disability, in general, hasn't been included in the conversation about inclusivity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-winston-george/disability-in-general-hasn-t-been-included-in-the-conversation-about/)

[Jason Winston George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-winston-george/)

> [“Women will be at least 50 percent of the communications community workforce … from executive suite to interns. Why? The “integrated” agency will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoram-wind/women-will-be-at-least-50-percent-of-the-communications-community/)

[Yoram Wind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoram-wind/)

> [There are certain things you must not say in spite of the fact that supposedly democracy means free speech. No. You are not allowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-eubank-sr/there-are-certain-things-you-must-not-say-in-spite-of-the-fact-that/)

[Chris Eubank Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-eubank-sr/)

[Browse all 21,506 Communication quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "From the moment I could talk I was ordered to listen.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Cat Stevens"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-stevens/from-the-moment-i-could-talk-i-was-ordered-to-listen/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Communication"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-stevens/from-the-moment-i-could-talk-i-was-ordered-to-listen/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eae/cat-stevens-2683_communication_from-the-moment-i-could-talk-i-was-order_1644912.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eae/cat-stevens-2683_communication_from-the-moment-i-could-talk-i-was-order_1644912.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eae/cat-stevens-2683_communication_from-the-moment-i-could-talk-i-was-order_1644912.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“From the moment I could talk I was ordered to listen.” — Cat Stevens",
                "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": "Cat Stevens",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-stevens/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "From the moment I could talk...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-stevens/from-the-moment-i-could-talk-i-was-ordered-to-listen/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-stevens/from-the-moment-i-could-talk-i-was-ordered-to-listen/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
