--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We need to understand what we're saying…" description: "\"We need to understand what we're saying matters.\" — John R. Allen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40e/john-r-allen-19772_learning_we-need-to-understand-what-we-re-saying_2070285.jpg" --- # We need to understand what we're saying matters. ![“We need to understand what we're saying matters.” quote by John R. Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40e/john-r-allen-19772_learning_we-need-to-understand-what-we-re-saying_2070285.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40e/john-r-allen-19772_learning_we-need-to-understand-what-we-re-saying_2070285.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40e/john-r-allen-19772_learning_we-need-to-understand-what-we-re-saying_2070285.jpg) > “We need to understand what we're saying matters.” [John R. Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-allen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective communication requires clarity and relevance; understanding why words matter ensures impact. **In simple terms:** Know why your words matter. Key Takeaway Speak with purpose. Themes communication clarity impact Mood inspirational reflective Type advice motivational When to use this quote - policy briefings - teaching - marketing campaigns Key Concepts rhetoric public speaking Questions to Reflect On - How can you make complex ideas relatable? - What messages have you struggled to convey? A Different Perspective Complex issues may resist simple explanations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Need Understand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need-understand/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Saying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saying/) [Saying Matters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saying-matters-1431840/) [Understand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understand/) [Understand Saying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understand-saying/) ## Related quotes > [People need to understand that whatever they see us saying on screen, we are not doing it on our own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/urvashi-rautela/people-need-to-understand-that-whatever-they-see-us-saying-on-screen/) [Urvashi Rautela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/urvashi-rautela/) > [“I don’t even know how to say it.” “You just say it. That’s how you say something that’s hard. You put one foot in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-blakely/i-don-t-even-know-how-to-say-it-you-just-say-it-that-s-how-you-say/) [Lauren Blakely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-blakely/) > [ “Risin up, when you’re weak, makes a person stronger. By standin, thery’re saying that \[she\] matters, and they matter too. I feel better when… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-johnson/risin-up-when-you-re-weak-makes-a-person-stronger-by-standin-thery-re/) [Todd Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-johnson/) > [When they hate on you its not what they're saying that matters it's the fact that you are worth talking about that matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mufti-ismail-menk/when-they-hate-on-you-its-not-what-they-re-saying-that-matters-it-s/) [Mufti Ismail Menk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mufti-ismail-menk/) > [“I didn't understand most of what he was saying. I should have had to understand what he was saying. I was still so young.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-smart/i-didn-t-understand-most-of-what-he-was-saying-i-should-have-had-to/) [Elizabeth Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-smart/) > [It's like saying French shouldn't be taught because you don't understand it because it's new. Shakespeare is just like learning a new, exciting language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/it-s-like-saying-french-shouldn-t-be-taught-because-you-don-t/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [“You’re still young and healthy. Maybe that’s why you don’t understand what I am saying. Let me give you an example. Once you pass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/you-re-still-young-and-healthy-maybe-that-s-why-you-don-t-understand/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Well, you got a girl and you don't understand what she's saying and she don't understand what you're saying, but the chemistry between the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-j/well-you-got-a-girl-and-you-don-t-understand-what-she-s-saying-and/) [Ray J](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-j/) > [“She goes on to explain about how need to not only listen to what the other person is saying but try to hear the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susane-colasanti/she-goes-on-to-explain-about-how-need-to-not-only-listen-to-what-the/) [Susane Colasanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susane-colasanti/) > [You need some time to know your team-mates and understand them without saying something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-matip/you-need-some-time-to-know-your-team-mates-and-understand-them/) [Joel Matip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-matip/) > [No matter what you wear, not everyone is going to understand what you're saying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-julavits/no-matter-what-you-wear-not-everyone-is-going-to-understand-what-you/) [Heidi Julavits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-julavits/) > [People don't talk like this, theytalklikethis. Syllables, words, sentences run together like a watercolour left in the rain. To understand what anyone is saying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/people-don-t-talk-like-this-theytalklikethis-syllables-words/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [“The two-man crew of the patrol boat does not speak English. Rachel exploits this as best she can, while still dumping life jackets in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-banks/the-two-man-crew-of-the-patrol-boat-does-not-speak-english-rachel/) [Anna Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-banks/) > [“And then the second thing you have to do is go and see your son. That is a duty of love, Andrew. It's as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-then-the-second-thing-you-have-to-do-is-go-and-see-your-son-that/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [There comes a time when the world gets quiet and the only thing left is your own heart. So you'd better learn the sound…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/there-comes-a-time-when-the-world-gets-quiet-and-the-only-thing-left/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) ## More by John R. Allen > [There is a direct line relationship between what happened in Afghanistan in the work up to 11 September 2001 and what we're doing in Afghanistan today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-allen/there-is-a-direct-line-relationship-between-what-happened-in/) [John R. Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-allen/) > [And across Afghanistan, every single day, Afghan soldiers, Afghan police and ISAF troops are serving shoulder-to-shoulder in some very difficult situations. And our engagement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-allen/and-across-afghanistan-every-single-day-afghan-soldiers-afghan-police/) [John R. Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-allen/) > [Afghanistan is going to be here a long time, and what's critical is that Afghanistan's relationship with its neighbors are, to the maximum extent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-allen/afghanistan-is-going-to-be-here-a-long-time-and-what-s-critical-is/) [John R. Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-allen/) > [The best thing I ever did was give my family everything I could.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-allen/the-best-thing-i-ever-did-was-give-my-family-everything-i-could/) [John R. Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-allen/) > [I seek as much as I can to mitigate risk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-allen/i-seek-as-much-as-i-can-to-mitigate-risk/) [John R. Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-allen/) > [One would think that if you're anonymous, you'd do anything you want, but groups have their own sense of community and what we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-allen/one-would-think-that-if-you-re-anonymous-you-d-do-anything-you-want/) [John R. Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-allen/) > [There are problems in the world today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-allen/there-are-problems-in-the-world-today/) [John R. Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-allen/) > [We dont want the Taliban to put down roots, or the al Qaeda to put down roots in Afghanistan that can facilitate Afghanistan becoming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-allen/we-dont-want-the-taliban-to-put-down-roots-or-the-al-qaeda-to-put/) [John R. Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-allen/) > [You know, great powers don't get angry, great powers don't make decisions hastily in a crisis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-allen/you-know-great-powers-don-t-get-angry-great-powers-don-t-make/) [John R. Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-allen/) > [We dont see that the Taliban ultimately can succeed, and its a combination both of what the international community can do to support Afghanistan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-allen/we-dont-see-that-the-taliban-ultimately-can-succeed-and-its-a/) [John R. Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-allen/) > [Donald Trump has no credibility to criticize me or my record or anything that I have done. If he had spent a minute in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-allen/donald-trump-has-no-credibility-to-criticize-me-or-my-record-or/) [John R. Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-allen/) > [I can't spend a lot of time worrying about the numbers at home. I've got to focus on the mission.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-allen/i-can-t-spend-a-lot-of-time-worrying-about-the-numbers-at-home-i-ve/) [John R. Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-allen/) > [None of us wants any more war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-allen/none-of-us-wants-any-more-war/) [John R. Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-allen/) > [The thing that I'm always left with is this overwhelming desire for people to be rooted and the only way that they feel rooted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-allen/the-thing-that-i-m-always-left-with-is-this-overwhelming-desire-for/) [John R. Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-allen/) > [Al Qaeda has significance beyond its numbers, frankly. And so for us, our 24-hour-a-day objective is to seek out those al Qaeda cells. And,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-allen/al-qaeda-has-significance-beyond-its-numbers-frankly-and-so-for-us/) [John R. Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-allen/) [Explore all 32 John R. Allen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-allen/) ## More Learning quotes > [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/) > [Just understand that the good that you want is already here. All you have to do is get in harmony with it. And you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/just-understand-that-the-good-that-you-want-is-already-here-all-you/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [“Men mistook measurement for understanding. And they always had to put themselves at the center of everything. That was their greatest conceit. The earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/men-mistook-measurement-for-understanding-and-they-always-had-to-put/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [Sometimes we wish for the feel but we never understand that we have to give a lot to get the feel !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reynolds/sometimes-we-wish-for-the-feel-but-we-never-understand-that-we-have/) [Robert Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reynolds/) > [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [Learning from the best, you will eventually become the best if you have the talent already, if you have that potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-orton/learning-from-the-best-you-will-eventually-become-the-best-if-you/) [Randy Orton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-orton/) > [Everything I do is more memorable and I understand music more than ever now. It's not a burden to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seungri/everything-i-do-is-more-memorable-and-i-understand-music-more-than/) [Seungri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seungri/) > [“let us not teach / what we have learned badly / and not profited by”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-d-hilda-doolittle/let-us-not-teach-what-we-have-learned-badly-and-not-profited-by/) [H.D. (Hilda Doolittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-d-hilda-doolittle/) > [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [once in awhile you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look it right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-garcia/once-in-awhile-you-get-shown-the-light-in-the-strangest-of-places-if/) [Jerry Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-garcia/) > [It's like saying French shouldn't be taught because you don't understand it because it's new. Shakespeare is just like learning a new, exciting language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/it-s-like-saying-french-shouldn-t-be-taught-because-you-don-t/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/) [Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/) > [Would she understand that time had stopped while she was gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-july/would-she-understand-that-time-had-stopped-while-she-was-gone/) [Miranda July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-july/) > [It's difficult for people to come to the understanding that only a small minority of the people ever really get the word about life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/it-s-difficult-for-people-to-come-to-the-understanding-that-only-a/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [“Damen's understanding of Laurent rearranged itself, in order that he might despise him more accurately.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-u-pacat/damen-s-understanding-of-laurent-rearranged-itself-in-order-that-he/) [S.U. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-u-pacat/) [Browse all 22,300 Learning quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We need to understand what we're saying matters.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John R. 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