--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think one of the highest compliments…" description: "\"I think one of the highest compliments you can give a person is that when you are talking to him, you are not thinking about the fact that you are talk..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d21/david-levithan-67_being-yourself_i-think-one-of-the-highest-compliments-y_980236.jpg" --- # I think one of the highest compliments you can give a… ![“I think one of the highest compliments you can give a person is that when you are talking to him, you are not thinking about the fact that you are talking to him. That is, your thoughts and words all exist on a single, engaged level. You are being yourself because you aren't bothering to think…” quote by David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d21/david-levithan-67_being-yourself_i-think-one-of-the-highest-compliments-y_980236.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d21/david-levithan-67_being-yourself_i-think-one-of-the-highest-compliments-y_980236.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d21/david-levithan-67_being-yourself_i-think-one-of-the-highest-compliments-y_980236.jpg) > “I think one of the highest compliments you can give a person is that when you are talking to him, you are not thinking about the fact that you are talking to him. That is, your thoughts and words all exist on a single, engaged level. You are being yourself because you aren't bothering to think about who you should be. It is like when you talk in a dream.” [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True connection occurs when we drop self‑consciousness and engage authentically, letting thoughts and words flow together. **In simple terms:** Authentic conversation happens when we stop overthinking. Key Takeaway Be present and speak genuinely. Themes authenticity presence self‑acceptance Mood thoughtful intimate Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - friendship - romantic relationships - therapy sessions - team meetings Key Concepts mindfulness psychology communication Questions to Reflect On - How can you practice presence in daily conversations? - What barriers prevent authentic dialogue? A Different Perspective Hard to maintain in high‑pressure or performance‑focused environments. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-yourself/) [Compliments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compliments/) [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Talking to him](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talking-to-him/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [The highest compliments leaders can receive are those that are given by the people who work for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-l-barksdale/the-highest-compliments-leaders-can-receive-are-those-that-are-given/) James L. Barksdale > [“Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martyn-lloyd-jones/have-you-realized-that-most-of-your-unhappiness-in-life-is-due-to-the/) [Martyn Lloyd-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martyn-lloyd-jones/) > [I'm not one of those people that has to look myself up every five seconds to see what people are saying. That's been really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmen-electra/i-m-not-one-of-those-people-that-has-to-look-myself-up-every-five/) [Carmen Electra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmen-electra/) > [Even though now I'm pretty popular in my country and tennis is the No. 1 sport, and I'm very flattered that the people recognise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/novak-djokovic/even-though-now-i-m-pretty-popular-in-my-country-and-tennis-is-the-no/) [Novak Djokovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/novak-djokovic/) > [A mantra is basically a means of talking with your thoughts and feelings. It's a time-honored method sometimes referred to as prayer, but really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsoknyi-rinpoche/a-mantra-is-basically-a-means-of-talking-with-your-thoughts-and/) [Tsoknyi Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsoknyi-rinpoche/) > [You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts; And when you can no longer dwell in the solitude of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/you-talk-when-you-cease-to-be-at-peace-with-your-thoughts-and-when/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [“Nobody who says as little as he does is as simple as you'd think. It takes a lot to not say a lot, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecelia-ahern/nobody-who-says-as-little-as-he-does-is-as-simple-as-you-d-think-it/) [Cecelia Ahern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecelia-ahern/) > [Talking to you is only thinking to myself - made easier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-mary-teresa-craigie/talking-to-you-is-only-thinking-to-myself-made-easier/) [Pearl Mary Teresa Craigie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-mary-teresa-craigie/) > [I'm bad at a ton of things. I'm bad at sitting still. I'm bad at basketball. My worst habit is that while people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lopez/i-m-bad-at-a-ton-of-things-i-m-bad-at-sitting-still-i-m-bad-at/) [Jennifer Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lopez/) > [I'm having this conversation with you now. I'm talking, but I'm thinking, feeling, smelling, and moving. Yet I'm concentrating on what you're saying. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ornette-coleman/i-m-having-this-conversation-with-you-now-i-m-talking-but-i-m/) [Ornette Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ornette-coleman/) > [People spend a lot of time talking and thinking about how members of the opposite sex look, but very little time paying attention to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-mlodinow/people-spend-a-lot-of-time-talking-and-thinking-about-how-members-of/) [Leonard Mlodinow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-mlodinow/) > [I think people will always do have an interest in policy areas, but Brexit is certainly got people talking and thinking and, so, probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-leadsom/i-think-people-will-always-do-have-an-interest-in-policy-areas-but/) [Andrea Leadsom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-leadsom/) > [When I'm talking to someone else, when I'm in a room, or with the crowd, I just forget I'm a tennis player. I'm thinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-alcaraz/when-i-m-talking-to-someone-else-when-i-m-in-a-room-or-with-the-crowd/) [Carlos Alcaraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-alcaraz/) > [“It's funny how when you watch people from a long distance, it all seems voiceless. It's like watching a silent movie. You guess what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/it-s-funny-how-when-you-watch-people-from-a-long-distance-it-all/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [... writing letters is thinking, just as talking to you is thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/writing-letters-is-thinking-just-as-talking-to-you-is-thinking/) [Anne Morrow Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/) ## More by David Levithan > [“When you jump, all you're going to do is fall. But leaping? Leaping is when you think there's something on the other side.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/when-you-jump-all-you-re-going-to-do-is-fall-but-leaping-leaping-is/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“The past and the future are what's complicated. It's the present that's simple. And the simplicity is the sensation of it being just her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-past-and-the-future-are-what-s-complicated-it-s-the-present-that/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“I hate the way you talk to me And the way you cut your hair I hate the way you drive my car I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-hate-the-way-you-talk-to-me-and-the-way-you-cut-your-hair-i-hate/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [You could be the leaf that never falls from the tree you could be the sun that never leaves the sky this might be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/you-could-be-the-leaf-that-never-falls-from-the-tree-you-could-be-the/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Patrick: Is she worth the trouble? Cameron: I thought she was- Patrick: Either she is, or she isn't. So give it a shot, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/patrick-is-she-worth-the-trouble-cameron-i-thought-she-was-patrick/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“We saw our friends die. But we also see our friends live. So many of them live, and we often toast their long and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/we-saw-our-friends-die-but-we-also-see-our-friends-live-so-many-of/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [maybe tonight you're scared of falling, and maybe there's somebody here or somewhere else you're thinking about, worrying over, fretting over, trying to figure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/maybe-tonight-you-re-scared-of-falling-and-maybe-there-s-somebody/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“You never told me what you saw in him, not convincingly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/you-never-told-me-what-you-saw-in-him-not-convincingly/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“i nod to the other will grayson, up onstage. he nods to me. we have something between us, him and me. but the truth?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-nod-to-the-other-will-grayson-up-onstage-he-nods-to-me-we-have/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [The terrorists-those nineteen people, with hundreds or maybe thousands behind them-did the worst thing you can possibly imagine. But tens of millions people did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-terrorists-those-nineteen-people-with-hundreds-or-maybe-thousands/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [But I still has enough longing for that concept that I didn't want to dispel it completely. Meaning: I didn't want to tell Lily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/but-i-still-has-enough-longing-for-that-concept-that-i-didn-t-want-to/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“When you break someone's heart, you also break yours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/when-you-break-someone-s-heart-you-also-break-yours/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Because toward the end all the words started leaving. Except for the ones that had to lock up at the end of the night.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/because-toward-the-end-all-the-words-started-leaving-except-for-the/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“ misgivings , n . Last night, I got up the courage to ask you if you regretted us. "There are things I miss,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/misgivings-n-last-night-i-got-up-the-courage-to-ask-you-if-you/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Saving others is always more important than saving yourself. It has to be, or none of us would do any good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/saving-others-is-always-more-important-than-saving-yourself-it-has-to/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) [Explore all 1,648 David Levithan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) ## More Being yourself quotes > [Make-up can't cover up an ugly personality!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/make-up-can-t-cover-up-an-ugly-personality/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you can't love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupaul/if-you-can-t-love-yourself-how-in-the-hell-you-gonna-love-somebody/) [RuPaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupaul/) > [There is nothing to do, just be. Do nothing. Be. No climbing mountains and sitting in caves. I do not even say "be yourself"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/there-is-nothing-to-do-just-be-do-nothing-be-no-climbing-mountains/) [Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/) > [The thing about a pick-up line is, even if it works, then what? I just figure you unapologetically be yourself, and if it works,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/skylar-astin/the-thing-about-a-pick-up-line-is-even-if-it-works-then-what-i-just/) [Skylar Astin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/skylar-astin/) > [Say to yourself: 'Living essentially to please others is a monumental mistake.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-robinson/say-to-yourself-living-essentially-to-please-others-is-a-monumental/) George Robinson > [About all you can do in life is be who you are. Some people will love you for you. Most will love you for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/about-all-you-can-do-in-life-is-be-who-you-are-some-people-will-love/) [Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/) > [If you don't feel free and be yourself, you can't connect. Find people who accept your quirks. They'll heal your soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/if-you-don-t-feel-free-and-be-yourself-you-can-t-connect-find-people/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [Give yourself a chance to live because nobody will live it for you when you die](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/give-yourself-a-chance-to-live-because-nobody-will-live-it-for-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm not pretty,I'm not smart.I'm not perfect and some people don't think I'm worth it.But if you look inside and see,you will see the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lexi-price/i-m-not-pretty-i-m-not-smart-i-m-not-perfect-and-some-people-don-t/) Lexi Price > [Your not born knowing what sex you like because you don't know what your feelings are, then before you know what sex you like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-brown/your-not-born-knowing-what-sex-you-like-because-you-don-t-know-what/) [Charlie Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-brown/) > [You can't be everything to everyone. No matter what you do, there will always be someone who thinks differently. So concentrate on doing what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kitavi/you-can-t-be-everything-to-everyone-no-matter-what-you-do-there-will/) Jonathan Kitavi > [The clashes of people and the clashes of cultures have assisted me in learning the openness you have to be a part of in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kissey/the-clashes-of-people-and-the-clashes-of-cultures-have-assisted-me-in/) [Kissey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kissey/) > [Celebrate all the things you don't like about yourself. love yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-gaga/celebrate-all-the-things-you-don-t-like-about-yourself-love-yourself/) [Lady Gaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-gaga/) > [“If you're the smartest person in the room, you might wanna switch rooms.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-newby/if-you-re-the-smartest-person-in-the-room-you-might-wanna-switch-rooms/) [Sabrina Newby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-newby/) > [Stop trying to impress other and start impressing yourself !!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kale-bell/stop-trying-to-impress-other-and-start-impressing-yourself/) [Kale Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kale-bell/) [Browse all 1,461 Being yourself quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-yourself/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think one of the highest compliments you can give a person is that when you are talking to him, you are not thinking about the fact that you are talking to him. 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