Country Quote by Evelyn Waugh
“They are a very decent generous lot of people out here and they don't expect you to listen… It's the secret of social ease in this country. They talk entirely for their own pleasure. Nothing they say is designed to be heard.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: Decline and Fall, 1928
People speak for personal enjoyment, not to be understood, creating social ease.
In simple terms: Talk is often self‑serving.
Key Takeaway
Listen beyond surface.
Themes
social ease
self‑interest
communication
Mood
wry
observational
Type
literary
social commentary
When to use this quote
- casual gatherings
- public speaking
- media interviews
Key Concepts
sociolinguistics
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do we prioritize pleasure over clarity?
- How can we foster genuine listening?
A Different Perspective
May ignore deeper meaning.
![“That country [Carthage] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws; and every step of intestine discord was marked by some deplorable victory of savage man over civilized society.” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/70c/edward-gibbon-710_barbarism_that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinkin_393.jpg)
