--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is never going to be a substitute…" description: "\"There is never going to be a substitute for face-to-face communication, but we have seen since the alphabet, to the telephone and now the Internet, tha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08f/howard-rheingold-2794_alphabet_there-is-never-going-to-be-a-substitute_2590710.png" --- # There is never going to be a substitute for face-to-face… ![“There is never going to be a substitute for face-to-face communication, but we have seen since the alphabet, to the telephone and now the Internet, that whenever people find a new way to communicate, they will flock to it.” quote by Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08f/howard-rheingold-2794_alphabet_there-is-never-going-to-be-a-substitute_2590710.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08f/howard-rheingold-2794_alphabet_there-is-never-going-to-be-a-substitute_2590710.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08f/howard-rheingold-2794_alphabet_there-is-never-going-to-be-a-substitute_2590710.png) > “There is never going to be a substitute for face-to-face communication, but we have seen since the alphabet, to the telephone and now the Internet, that whenever people find a new way to communicate, they will flock to it.” [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Face‑to‑face communication remains irreplaceable, yet each new medium (alphabet, telephone, Internet) reshapes interaction patterns. **In simple terms:** New communication tools change but don’t replace personal contact. Key Takeaway Balance digital tools with personal interaction. Themes communication technology human connection Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - remote work - social media - education Key Concepts media studies sociology Questions to Reflect On - How do you maintain personal connection online? - What role should technology play in relationships? A Different Perspective Digital overload can diminish depth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alphabet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alphabet/) [Communicate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communicate/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Communication Seen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication-seen-1857577/) [Face Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/face-communication-1857578/) [Face to face](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/face-to-face/) [Find](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/find/) [Flock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flock/) [Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going/) [Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet/) [Internet People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet-people/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) [New](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new/) [New way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-way/) [Now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/now/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Seen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seen/) [Since](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/since/) [Substitute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/substitute/) [Telephone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/telephone/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Way Communicate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way-communicate-654862/) [Whenever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whenever/) [Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will/) ## Related quotes > [I'm the biggest fan of face-to-face communication.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-dillon/i-m-the-biggest-fan-of-face-to-face-communication/) [Mary Dillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-dillon/) > [Face-to-face communication relies on many sources of information: facial expressions, voice, posture, hands, gaze, focus, and so on. Such sources provide crucial signals for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumar-anupam/face-to-face-communication-relies-on-many-sources-of-information/) [Kumar Anupam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumar-anupam/) > [“Words are not the only way we communicate, you and I. They never were.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meredith-duran/words-are-not-the-only-way-we-communicate-you-and-i-they-never-were/) [Meredith Duran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meredith-duran/) > [Today, the best way to communicate with someone is still face-to-face. Virtual reality has the potential to change that, to make it where VR…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/palmer-luckey/today-the-best-way-to-communicate-with-someone-is-still-face-to-face/) [Palmer Luckey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/palmer-luckey/) > [“There has been a cultural shift in the way we communicate, and that, in turn, has had an effect on our relating. We have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-d-halfacre/there-has-been-a-cultural-shift-in-the-way-we-communicate-and-that-in/) [Philip D. Halfacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-d-halfacre/) > [Terrorists will always find a way to communicate. They will always find a solution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pavel-durov/terrorists-will-always-find-a-way-to-communicate-they-will-always/) [Pavel Durov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pavel-durov/) > [Things like email, and Twitter, and Facebook, and text messaging - they all work reasonably well. But we use them because they're convenient, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/palmer-luckey/things-like-email-and-twitter-and-facebook-and-text-messaging-they/) [Palmer Luckey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/palmer-luckey/) > [I do think technology really has changed the way that we communicate with each other and texting can be the way to communicate and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-purser/i-do-think-technology-really-has-changed-the-way-that-we-communicate/) [Shannon Purser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-purser/) > [“There is no way to communicate to a dog that one is sorry that we live in the world but it is the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathon-safran-foer/there-is-no-way-to-communicate-to-a-dog-that-one-is-sorry-that-we/) [Jonathon Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathon-safran-foer/) > [Music is the best way that I can communicate with other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juice-wrld/music-is-the-best-way-that-i-can-communicate-with-other-people/) [Juice Wrld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juice-wrld/) > [We mustn't be traditional in the way we communicate with people - especially with the Establishment. We should surprise people by saying new things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/we-mustn-t-be-traditional-in-the-way-we-communicate-with-people/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) > [The way I communicate is exactly the way in speech and amongst friends as it is in music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cmat/the-way-i-communicate-is-exactly-the-way-in-speech-and-amongst/) [CMAT](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cmat/) > [“The idea that the best way to communicate with people is 24/7 is not really an idea about maximizing productivity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/the-idea-that-the-best-way-to-communicate-with-people-is-24-7-is-not/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) > [I'm not a robot. But the way I communicate means I polarise people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-barton/i-m-not-a-robot-but-the-way-i-communicate-means-i-polarise-people/) [Joey Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-barton/) > [Comments are my main way to communicate with you bros.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pewdiepie/comments-are-my-main-way-to-communicate-with-you-bros/) [PewDiePie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pewdiepie/) ## More by Howard Rheingold > [Attention is a limited resource, so pay attention to where you pay attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/attention-is-a-limited-resource-so-pay-attention-to-where-you-pay/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [What person doesn't search online about their disease after they are diagnosed?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/what-person-doesn-t-search-online-about-their-disease-after-they-are/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [You can't pick up the telephone and say, 'Connect me with someone else who has a kid with leukemia.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/you-can-t-pick-up-the-telephone-and-say-connect-me-with-someone-else/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [We like technology because we don't have to talk to anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/we-like-technology-because-we-don-t-have-to-talk-to-anybody/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [Attention is the fundamental instrument we use for learning, thinking, communicating, deciding, yet neither parents nor schools spend any time helping young people learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/attention-is-the-fundamental-instrument-we-use-for-learning-thinking/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [One thing we didn't know in 1996 is that it's very, very difficult, if not impossible, to sustain a culture with online advertising.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/one-thing-we-didn-t-know-in-1996-is-that-it-s-very-very-difficult-if/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [Any virtual community that works, works because people put in some time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/any-virtual-community-that-works-works-because-people-put-in-some-time/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [There actually are buildings that existed in cyberspace before they built it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/there-actually-are-buildings-that-existed-in-cyberspace-before-they/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [The world is restructuring, and all of the enemies that used to exist are kind of gone, so now they are looking out for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/the-world-is-restructuring-and-all-of-the-enemies-that-used-to-exist/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [Kerouac was this kid who exemplified something happening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/kerouac-was-this-kid-who-exemplified-something-happening/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [Of course, with agriculture came the first big civilizations, the first cities built of mud and brick, the first empires. And it was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/of-course-with-agriculture-came-the-first-big-civilizations-the-first/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [Its not a global village, but we're in a highly interconnected globe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/its-not-a-global-village-but-we-re-in-a-highly-interconnected-globe/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [People's behavior will change with technology. I know very few young people who can't type out a text message on their phone with one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/people-s-behavior-will-change-with-technology-i-know-very-few-young/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [I'm somebody who seems to stumble into things 10 or 20 years before the rest of the world does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/i-m-somebody-who-seems-to-stumble-into-things-10-or-20-years-before/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [There are always a few people who are hyper-normal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/there-are-always-a-few-people-who-are-hyper-normal/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) [Explore all 150 Howard Rheingold quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) ## More Alphabet quotes > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) > [Flowers are the alphabet of angels, whereby they write on the hills and fields mysterious truths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/flowers-are-the-alphabet-of-angels-whereby-they-write-on-the-hills/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [I have thought that wild flowers might be the alphabet of angels, — whereby they write on hills and fields mysterious truths, which it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/i-have-thought-that-wild-flowers-might-be-the-alphabet-of-angels/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [The WPA was one of the most productive elements of FDR's alphabet soup of agencies because it put people to work building roads, bridges,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-wpa-was-one-of-the-most-productive-elements-of-fdr-s-alphabet/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [My alphabet starts with this letter called yuzz. It s the letter I use to spell yuzz a ma tuzz. You ll be sort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/my-alphabet-starts-with-this-letter-called-yuzz-it-s-the-letter-i-use/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [I cannot find it in me to fear a man who took ten years a learning of his alphabet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/i-cannot-find-it-in-me-to-fear-a-man-who-took-ten-years-a-learning-of/) [Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/) > [Why' is the only question that bothers people enough to have an entire letter of the alphabet named after it. The alphabet does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/why-is-the-only-question-that-bothers-people-enough-to-have-an-entire/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [I used to have a little saying I used when people said, 'What are your priorities?' I'd give them a bit of government alphabet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hayden/i-used-to-have-a-little-saying-i-used-when-people-said-what-are-your/) [Michael Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hayden/) > [All I want is that Americans still be able to read the alphabet in a hundred years. I am not very ambitious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/all-i-want-is-that-americans-still-be-able-to-read-the-alphabet-in-a/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [The visual power of the phonetic alphabet is the translate other languages into itself is part of its power to invade right hemisphere (oral)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/the-visual-power-of-the-phonetic-alphabet-is-the-translate-other/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) > [Architecture is the alphabet of giants; it is the largest set of symbols ever made to meet the eyes of men. A tower stands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/architecture-is-the-alphabet-of-giants-it-is-the-largest-set-of/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [I've always thought of the T-shirt as the Alpha and Omega of the fashion alphabet, ... The White T.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giorgio-armani/i-ve-always-thought-of-the-t-shirt-as-the-alpha-and-omega-of-the/) [Giorgio Armani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giorgio-armani/) > [Alphabetical order had to be invented to help people organize the first dictionaries. On the other hand, we may have reached a point where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/alphabetical-order-had-to-be-invented-to-help-people-organize-the/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [One who has not only the four Ss, which are required in every good lover, but even the whole alphabet. as for example¦ Agreeable,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-cervantes/one-who-has-not-only-the-four-ss-which-are-required-in-every-good/) [Miguel De Cervantes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-cervantes/) > [New York doesn't exactly have neighborhoods, the way most cities do. What it has is closer to distinct and separate villages, some of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-e-westlake/new-york-doesn-t-exactly-have-neighborhoods-the-way-most-cities-do/) [Donald E. Westlake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-e-westlake/) [Browse all 336 Alphabet quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alphabet/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There is never going to be a substitute for face-to-face communication, but we have seen since the alphabet, to the telephone and now the Internet, that whenever people find a new way to communicate, they will flock to it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Howard Rheingold" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/there-is-never-going-to-be-a-substitute-for-face-to-face/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Alphabet" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/there-is-never-going-to-be-a-substitute-for-face-to-face/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08f/howard-rheingold-2794_alphabet_there-is-never-going-to-be-a-substitute_2590710.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08f/howard-rheingold-2794_alphabet_there-is-never-going-to-be-a-substitute_2590710.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08f/howard-rheingold-2794_alphabet_there-is-never-going-to-be-a-substitute_2590710.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There is never going to be a substitute for face-to-face communication, but we have seen since the alphabet…” — Howard Rheingold", "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": "Howard Rheingold", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There is never going to be...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/there-is-never-going-to-be-a-substitute-for-face-to-face/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/there-is-never-going-to-be-a-substitute-for-face-to-face/#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 } } ] } ```