--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think there is an enormous diference…" description: "\"I think there is an enormous diference between speaking and writing. One rereads what one writes. But one might read it slowly or quickly. In other wor..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23d/jean-paul-sartre-220_communication_i-think-there-is-an-enormous-diference-b_2730364.png" --- # I think there is an enormous diference between speaking… ![“I think there is an enormous diference between speaking and writing. One rereads what one writes. But one might read it slowly or quickly. In other words, you do not know how long you will have to spend deliberating over a sentence. ... But if I listen to a tape recorder, the listening time is…” quote by Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23d/jean-paul-sartre-220_communication_i-think-there-is-an-enormous-diference-b_2730364.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23d/jean-paul-sartre-220_communication_i-think-there-is-an-enormous-diference-b_2730364.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23d/jean-paul-sartre-220_communication_i-think-there-is-an-enormous-diference-b_2730364.png) > “I think there is an enormous diference between speaking and writing. One rereads what one writes. But one might read it slowly or quickly. In other words, you do not know how long you will have to spend deliberating over a sentence. ... But if I listen to a tape recorder, the listening time is determined by the speed at which the tape turns and not by my own needs.” [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Speaking is immediate; writing allows rereading and deliberation, unlike fixed‑speed recordings. **In simple terms:** Writing offers time for reflection. Key Takeaway Embrace writing for deeper thought. Themes communication reflection creativity Mood thoughtful introspective Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - writing practice - editing - slow reading Key Concepts philosophy cognitive science Questions to Reflect On - How does rereading change understanding? - When is spoken word more effective? A Different Perspective Reading aloud can also aid comprehension. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Deliberating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deliberating-2253273/) [Deliberating Sentence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deliberating-sentence-2949218/) [Determined](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/determined/) [Diference Speaking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diference-speaking-2949219/) [Enormous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enormous/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Know how](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-how/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Listening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/listening/) [Listening Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/listening-time-862839/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [My own](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-own/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Recorders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recorders/) [Sentences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentences/) [Speaking and writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speaking-and-writing-175196/) [Speaking Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speaking-writing-598419/) [Speed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speed/) [Tape](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tape/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Turns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turns/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [The opportunity is often lost by deliberating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/publilius-syrus/the-opportunity-is-often-lost-by-deliberating/) [Publilius Syrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/publilius-syrus/) > [We spend our days in deliberating, and we end them without coming to any resolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/we-spend-our-days-in-deliberating-and-we-end-them-without-coming-to/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“When deliberating, think in campaigns and not battles; in wars and not campaigns; in ultimate conquest and not wars.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pressfield/when-deliberating-think-in-campaigns-and-not-battles-in-wars-and-not/) [Steven Pressfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pressfield/) > [Listening is an activity. It's not passive. We are creating the world by listening all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-treasure/listening-is-an-activity-it-s-not-passive-we-are-creating-the-world/) [Julian Treasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-treasure/) > [One thing I always loved about vinyl was the length of a side, around 20 or 22 minutes. That's the perfect length of an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-ranaldo/one-thing-i-always-loved-about-vinyl-was-the-length-of-a-side-around/) [Lee Ranaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-ranaldo/) > [“Don't say that again. Life might be listening, and give you less the next time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/don-t-say-that-again-life-might-be-listening-and-give-you-less-the/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I've got CDs in my car, listening all the time for that next song, because everybody's looking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/i-ve-got-cds-in-my-car-listening-all-the-time-for-that-next-song/) [Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/) > [I have the thermometer in my mouth and I am listening to it all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-have-the-thermometer-in-my-mouth-and-i-am-listening-to-it-all-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Speaking, writing, and discoursing are not mere acts of communication; they are above all acts of compulsion. Please follow me. Trust me, for deep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trinh-t-minh-ha/speaking-writing-and-discoursing-are-not-mere-acts-of-communication/) [Trinh T. Minh-ha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trinh-t-minh-ha/) > [Speaking, writing, and signing are the three ways in which a language lives and breathes. They are the three mediums through which a language…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-crystal/speaking-writing-and-signing-are-the-three-ways-in-which-a-language/) [David Crystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crystal/) > [“it seemed to me that I had mastered words to the point of sweeping away forever the contradictions of being in the world, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-ferrante/it-seemed-to-me-that-i-had-mastered-words-to-the-point-of-sweeping/) [Elena Ferrante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-ferrante/) > [“When you’re speaking or writing to someone, pause and ask yourself, “Is this something I want to create?” If it isn’t, change your words.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-daniels/when-you-re-speaking-or-writing-to-someone-pause-and-ask-yourself-is/) [Elizabeth Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-daniels/) > [I think the downside of the Internet is that speaking-or writing-has become the point in and of itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-blanchett/i-think-the-downside-of-the-internet-is-that-speaking-or-writing-has/) [Cate Blanchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-blanchett/) > [You have to create the space for the possibility of people speaking as they do. 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It seems funny. Yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/she-has-suddenly-emptied-herself-of-me-and-all-other-consciousness-in/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [ \[Stéphane Mallarmé\] theory of the hermetic is a mistake, but he can be only difficult to read when he has difficult things to say. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/st-phane-mallarm-theory-of-the-hermetic-is-a-mistake-but-he-can-be/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [I can always choose, but I ought to know that if I do not choose, I am still choosing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/i-can-always-choose-but-i-ought-to-know-that-if-i-do-not-choose-i-am/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [When the rich wage war, it's the poor who die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/when-the-rich-wage-war-it-s-the-poor-who-die/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [“She smiled. First I lost the memory of her eyes, then the memory of her long body. I kept her smile as long as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/she-smiled-first-i-lost-the-memory-of-her-eyes-then-the-memory-of-her/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [Life is a useless passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/life-is-a-useless-passion/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [The more one is absorbed in fighting evil, the less one is tempted to place the good in question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/the-more-one-is-absorbed-in-fighting-evil-the-less-one-is-tempted-to/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [This is what I thought: for the most banal even to become an adventure, you must (and this is enough) begin to recount it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/this-is-what-i-thought-for-the-most-banal-even-to-become-an-adventure/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [“I am free: there is absolutely no more reason for living, all the ones I have tried have given way and I can’t imagine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/i-am-free-there-is-absolutely-no-more-reason-for-living-all-the-ones/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [“If I am not mistaken, if all the signs which have been amassed are precursors of a new overthrow in my life, well then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/if-i-am-not-mistaken-if-all-the-signs-which-have-been-amassed-are/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [“I want to leave, go to some place where I will be really in my own niche, where I will fit in. . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/i-want-to-leave-go-to-some-place-where-i-will-be-really-in-my-own/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [...Uncalled-for aggression arouses the hatred of the civilian population...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/uncalled-for-aggression-arouses-the-hatred-of-the-civilian-population/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [The best work is not what is most difficult for you; it is what you do best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/the-best-work-is-not-what-is-most-difficult-for-you-it-is-what-you-do/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) [Explore all 728 Jean-Paul Sartre quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) ## 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. 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