--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Why would someone for whom talking was…" description: "\"“Why would someone for whom talking was torture want to talk all the time before thousands of Athenians? Because otherwise he’d have drown himself at h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb0/david-shields-8815_life_why-would-someone-for-whom-talking-was-t_804621.jpg" --- # Why would someone for whom talking was torture want to… ![“Why would someone for whom talking was torture want to talk all the time before thousands of Athenians? Because otherwise he’d have drown himself at high tide. My sister- so shy, so sincere- once wanted to be an actress. The best jazz drummer I’ve ever heard had only one arm. We all choose a…” quote by David Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb0/david-shields-8815_life_why-would-someone-for-whom-talking-was-t_804621.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb0/david-shields-8815_life_why-would-someone-for-whom-talking-was-t_804621.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb0/david-shields-8815_life_why-would-someone-for-whom-talking-was-t_804621.jpg) > ““Why would someone for whom talking was torture want to talk all the time before thousands of Athenians? Because otherwise he’d have drown himself at high tide. My sister- so shy, so sincere- once wanted to be an actress. The best jazz drummer I’ve ever heard had only one arm. We all choose a calling that’s the most radical contradiction of ourselves.”” [David Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-shields/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often pursue roles that starkly contrast their inner nature, revealing paradoxical self‑selection. **In simple terms:** We pick jobs that contradict who we are. Key Takeaway Embrace contradictions to discover authentic purpose. Themes identity paradox self‑selection career authenticity Mood reflective intriguing thought‑provoking Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career counseling - creative pursuits - personal development - team dynamics Key Concepts existentialism psychology social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What contradictions define your current path? - How can you align your role with your true self? A Different Perspective Choosing opposite roles may cause internal conflict or burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Sister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sister/) ## Related quotes > [“You wouldn't think there is anything life threatening about speech impediments, but let me tell you, there is nothing more dangerous than being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/you-wouldn-t-think-there-is-anything-life-threatening-about-speech/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [I did a piece where I was talking about torture at Abu Ghraib, and I embroidered my hand with the image of the hooded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-soloway/i-did-a-piece-where-i-was-talking-about-torture-at-abu-ghraib-and-i/) [Jill Soloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-soloway/) > [I've always felt like my job is to protect my sister. Even growing up, on the playground, when my sister was too shy, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christen-press/i-ve-always-felt-like-my-job-is-to-protect-my-sister-even-growing-up/) [Christen Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christen-press/) > [“..people who stutter may be of above intellect but have trouble putting the many ideas they have into words in an easily understood order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-allin/people-who-stutter-may-be-of-above-intellect-but-have-trouble-putting/) Bill Allin > [“When you see a stranger, your mouth start dancing like convulsion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/when-you-see-a-stranger-your-mouth-start-dancing-like-convulsion/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [“Everybody stuttered, but the fellow who stuttered too much was called a stutterer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/everybody-stuttered-but-the-fellow-who-stuttered-too-much-was-called/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [“When your stutter is chronic, you wonder what magic fluent people use that makes them sound so fluent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/when-your-stutter-is-chronic-you-wonder-what-magic-fluent-people-use/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [“His stutter didn't like the idea of wooing and silenced any attempts to broach the subject.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peadar-guil-n/his-stutter-didn-t-like-the-idea-of-wooing-and-silenced-any-attempts/) [Peadar Ó Guilín](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peadar-guil-n/) > [“I may be deprived of eloquence, but my mind can never be a dumb.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/i-may-be-deprived-of-eloquence-but-my-mind-can-never-be-a-dumb/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [To stutter through it with you or even stop stuttering and say nothing, was so lucky and soft, better talk than mile-a-minute with anyone.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/to-stutter-through-it-with-you-or-even-stop-stuttering-and-say/) [Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/) > [“Fear the soldier who stammers, for he is very fast at pulling the triger.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/fear-the-soldier-who-stammers-for-he-is-very-fast-at-pulling-the/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [“Before i could utter a word, my listeners had left me long ago.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/before-i-could-utter-a-word-my-listeners-had-left-me-long-ago/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [“The enigma of stuttering is profound. For in a moment, you would sound very fluent, and at other times, you would struggle to utter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/the-enigma-of-stuttering-is-profound-for-in-a-moment-you-would-sound/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [“There is more to stuttering than the mere repetition of words and phrases. And more to anxiety than just being nervous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/there-is-more-to-stuttering-than-the-mere-repetition-of-words-and/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [“While racial minorities across every civilized country in the world are still waiting for their break, our kind (stutterers) became emperors (i.e., Claudius) and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anas-hamshari/while-racial-minorities-across-every-civilized-country-in-the-world/) [Anas Hamshari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anas-hamshari/) ## More by David Shields > [To be honest, there are parts of 'How Literature Saved My Life' that began as interviews. Someone was telling me that they think the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shields/to-be-honest-there-are-parts-of-how-literature-saved-my-life-that/) [David Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-shields/) > [I'm very drawn to the way in which a life lived can be an art of sorts or a failed art, and a life-lived-told…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shields/i-m-very-drawn-to-the-way-in-which-a-life-lived-can-be-an-art-of/) [David Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-shields/) > [People like Ian McEwan and Jonathan Franzen completely bore me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shields/people-like-ian-mcewan-and-jonathan-franzen-completely-bore-me/) [David Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-shields/) > [You're one of 6.5 billion people now on the planet, and 99.9 percent of your genes are the same as everyone else's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shields/you-re-one-of-6-5-billion-people-now-on-the-planet-and-99-9-percent/) [David Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-shields/) > [We're completely confused about the boundaries between fiction and non-fiction. 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I'm not a good swimmer - I do the breaststroke or elementary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shields/swimming-is-by-far-the-best-tonic-i-ve-found-for-my-back-i-m-not-a/) [David Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-shields/) > [I've always liked this idea that writing should comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable to create trouble. 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Long live the antinovel, built from scraps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shields/the-novel-is-dead-long-live-the-antinovel-built-from-scraps/) [David Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-shields/) > [I am exhausted by traditional memoir. I am exhausted by the architecture of the conventional novel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shields/i-am-exhausted-by-traditional-memoir-i-am-exhausted-by-the/) [David Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-shields/) > [I couldn't tell a story if my life depended on it. I'm the world's worst joke-teller.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shields/i-couldn-t-tell-a-story-if-my-life-depended-on-it-i-m-the-world-s/) [David Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-shields/) > [The absence of plot leaves the reader room to think about other things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shields/the-absence-of-plot-leaves-the-reader-room-to-think-about-other-things/) [David Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-shields/) [Explore all 77 David Shields quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-shields/) ## More Life quotes > [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/) [Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life works most perfectly when a reciprocal love relationship is in place between man and God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/life-works-most-perfectly-when-a-reciprocal-love-relationship-is-in/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [I value the experiences that come with life too much to sit by and not put my full effort into them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-miller/i-value-the-experiences-that-come-with-life-too-much-to-sit-by-and/) [Jim Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-miller/) > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“There's more to life than you can see. Your sight is limited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammy-kling/there-s-more-to-life-than-you-can-see-your-sight-is-limited/) [Tammy Kling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammy-kling/) > [“I've spent much of my life calling my intuition "something wrong with me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deanna-l-lawlis/i-ve-spent-much-of-my-life-calling-my-intuition-something-wrong-with/) Deanna L. Lawlis > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [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/) > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Two things revolutionised life: moving to the countryside and falling in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-love/two-things-revolutionised-life-moving-to-the-countryside-and-falling/) [Nick Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-love/) > [But just remember, life without me would be even more unbearable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/but-just-remember-life-without-me-would-be-even-more-unbearable/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) [Browse all 265,290 Life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Why would someone for whom talking was torture want to talk all the time before thousands of Athenians? 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