--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She had become really quite expert, she…" description: "\"“She had become really quite expert, she thought, at listening as though she didn't listen, at sitting in other people's lives just for a minute while ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69e/katherine-mansfield-1781_eavesdropping_she-had-become-really-quite-expert-she-t_1518329.png" --- # She had become really quite expert, she thought, at… ![“She had become really quite expert, she thought, at listening as though she didn't listen, at sitting in other people's lives just for a minute while they talked round her.” quote by Katherine Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69e/katherine-mansfield-1781_eavesdropping_she-had-become-really-quite-expert-she-t_1518329.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69e/katherine-mansfield-1781_eavesdropping_she-had-become-really-quite-expert-she-t_1518329.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69e/katherine-mansfield-1781_eavesdropping_she-had-become-really-quite-expert-she-t_1518329.png) > ““She had become really quite expert, she thought, at listening as though she didn't listen, at sitting in other people's lives just for a minute while they talked round her.”” [Katherine Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-mansfield/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She pretends to be inattentive while secretly absorbing others’ stories, showing skill in covert observation. **In simple terms:** She listens without appearing to listen. Key Takeaway Observe quietly to understand deeper. Themes observation empathy social dynamics Mood reflective intriguing Type literary insightful When to use this quote - social gatherings - work meetings - family dinners - therapy sessions Key Concepts psychology active listening privacy Questions to Reflect On - How does hidden listening affect trust? - When is covert observation useful? A Different Perspective May miss cues if too covert. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Eavesdropping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eavesdropping/) [Listen Sitting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/listen-sitting-5606140/) [Listening Didn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/listening-didn-1588891/) [Minute Talked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minute-talked-5606138/) [Talked Round](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talked-round-5606139/) [Thought Listening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-listening-5606137/) ## Related quotes > [It was like Percy had faced death before, like he knew about grief. What mattered was listening. You didn’t need to say you were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/it-was-like-percy-had-faced-death-before-like-he-knew-about-grief/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [I just know I was part of a moment, and everyone showed up with love. I'm just blown away by this all but you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-kim/i-just-know-i-was-part-of-a-moment-and-everyone-showed-up-with-love-i/) [Andy Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-kim/) > [I enjoyed listening to it, but I didn't think I could do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wanda-jackson/i-enjoyed-listening-to-it-but-i-didn-t-think-i-could-do-it/) [Wanda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wanda-jackson/) > [“There was part of me listening that didn't think what I said was fiction. I was making up a true story.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bach/there-was-part-of-me-listening-that-didn-t-think-what-i-said-was/) [Richard Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bach/) > [Ladies, if you give men a choice between two things they'll pick the first. They stopped listening and didn't hear the second](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/green-monk/ladies-if-you-give-men-a-choice-between-two-things-they-ll-pick-the/) [Green Monk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/green-monk/) > [“Why did people do it? Why this herd curiosity about a street, a house, windows, doors? He was a public servant, the Inspector mused,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellery-queen/why-did-people-do-it-why-this-herd-curiosity-about-a-street-a-house/) [Ellery Queen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellery-queen/) > [“I especially like eavesdropping on women my age. Besides being titillating, it also helps me gauge where I'm at in comparison.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/i-especially-like-eavesdropping-on-women-my-age-besides-being/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) > [As a child I loved to be in the kitchen with my mum and aunties, eavesdropping on the adults.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-galetti/as-a-child-i-loved-to-be-in-the-kitchen-with-my-mum-and-aunties/) [Monica Galetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-galetti/) > [“Americans may say they love our accents (I have been accused of sounding 'like Princess Di') but the more thoughtful ones resent and rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hitchens/americans-may-say-they-love-our-accents-i-have-been-accused-of/) [Peter Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hitchens/) > [Spying on people by magic is the same as spying on them in any other way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/spying-on-people-by-magic-is-the-same-as-spying-on-them-in-any-other/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Writing fiction is a solitary occupation but not really a lonely one. The writer's head is mobbed with characters, images and language, making the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilma-wolitzer/writing-fiction-is-a-solitary-occupation-but-not-really-a-lonely-one/) [Hilma Wolitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilma-wolitzer/) > [Everyone in the world is impacted by the United States' Big Brother attitude toward the world. We need countries to say no to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/everyone-in-the-world-is-impacted-by-the-united-states-big-brother/) [Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) > [We're no longer in the Cold War. Eavesdropping on friends is unacceptable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/we-re-no-longer-in-the-cold-war-eavesdropping-on-friends-is/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [ \[Peter Pan\] has never broken his terrible habit of eavesdropping. So, maybe that wasn't the rustle of pages you heard while this story lasted,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-mccaughrean/peter-pan-has-never-broken-his-terrible-habit-of-eavesdropping-so/) [Geraldine McCaughrean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-mccaughrean/) > [“Wait, were you eavesdropping on my conversation with the duke? That's very rude." "Is it? Half of the plays in the world contain eavesdropping.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-jeffries/wait-were-you-eavesdropping-on-my-conversation-with-the-duke-that-s/) [Sabrina Jeffries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-jeffries/) ## More by Katherine Mansfield > [“Shadow children, thin and small, Now the day is left behind, You are dancing on the wall, On the curtains, on the blind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-mansfield/shadow-children-thin-and-small-now-the-day-is-left-behind-you-are/) [Katherine Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-mansfield/) > [“Oh, with you, I could conquer the world - oh, with you I could catch hold of the moon like a little silver sixpence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-mansfield/oh-with-you-i-could-conquer-the-world-oh-with-you-i-could-catch-hold/) [Katherine Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-mansfield/) > [“I have made it a rule of my life never to regret and never to look back. Regret is an appalling waste of energy...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-mansfield/i-have-made-it-a-rule-of-my-life-never-to-regret-and-never-to-look/) [Katherine Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-mansfield/) > [Life never becomes a habit to me. It's always a marvel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-mansfield/life-never-becomes-a-habit-to-me-it-s-always-a-marvel/) [Katherine Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-mansfield/) > [Children are unaccountable little creatures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-mansfield/children-are-unaccountable-little-creatures/) [Katherine Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-mansfield/) > [“Leila was sure ifhe partner didn't come and she had to listen to that marvellous music and to watch the others sliding, gliding over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-mansfield/leila-was-sure-ifhe-partner-didn-t-come-and-she-had-to-listen-to-that/) [Katherine Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-mansfield/) > [Regret is an appalling waste of time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-mansfield/regret-is-an-appalling-waste-of-time/) [Katherine Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-mansfield/) > [I love the rain. I want the feeling of it on my face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-mansfield/i-love-the-rain-i-want-the-feeling-of-it-on-my-face/) [Katherine Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-mansfield/) > [England is merely an island of beef swimming in a warm gulf stream of gravy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-mansfield/england-is-merely-an-island-of-beef-swimming-in-a-warm-gulf-stream-of/) [Katherine Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-mansfield/) > [Perhaps it does not matter so very much what it is one loves in this world. But love something one must.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-mansfield/perhaps-it-does-not-matter-so-very-much-what-it-is-one-loves-in-this/) [Katherine Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-mansfield/) > [Ah, what happiness it is to be with people who are all happy, to press hands, press cheeks, smile into eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-mansfield/ah-what-happiness-it-is-to-be-with-people-who-are-all-happy-to-press/) [Katherine Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-mansfield/) > [To acknowledge the presence of fear is to give birth to failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-mansfield/to-acknowledge-the-presence-of-fear-is-to-give-birth-to-failure/) [Katherine Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-mansfield/) > [I am poor - obscure - just eighteen years of age - with a rapacious appetite for everything and principles as light as my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-mansfield/i-am-poor-obscure-just-eighteen-years-of-age-with-a-rapacious/) [Katherine Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-mansfield/) > [“I used to believe I was merely words and I do not know whether I shall start hoping for something more. You planted that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-mansfield/i-used-to-believe-i-was-merely-words-and-i-do-not-know-whether-i/) [Katherine Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-mansfield/) > [To be alive and to be a ‘writer’ is enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-mansfield/to-be-alive-and-to-be-a-writer-is-enough/) [Katherine Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-mansfield/) [Explore all 199 Katherine Mansfield quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-mansfield/) ## More Eavesdropping quotes > [“Wait, were you eavesdropping on my conversation with the duke? That's very rude." "Is it? Half of the plays in the world contain eavesdropping.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-jeffries/wait-were-you-eavesdropping-on-my-conversation-with-the-duke-that-s/) [Sabrina Jeffries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-jeffries/) > [ \[Peter Pan\] has never broken his terrible habit of eavesdropping. So, maybe that wasn't the rustle of pages you heard while this story lasted,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-mccaughrean/peter-pan-has-never-broken-his-terrible-habit-of-eavesdropping-so/) [Geraldine McCaughrean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-mccaughrean/) > [We're no longer in the Cold War. Eavesdropping on friends is unacceptable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/we-re-no-longer-in-the-cold-war-eavesdropping-on-friends-is/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [Everyone in the world is impacted by the United States' Big Brother attitude toward the world. We need countries to say no to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/everyone-in-the-world-is-impacted-by-the-united-states-big-brother/) [Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) > [Writing fiction is a solitary occupation but not really a lonely one. The writer's head is mobbed with characters, images and language, making the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilma-wolitzer/writing-fiction-is-a-solitary-occupation-but-not-really-a-lonely-one/) [Hilma Wolitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilma-wolitzer/) > [Spying on people by magic is the same as spying on them in any other way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/spying-on-people-by-magic-is-the-same-as-spying-on-them-in-any-other/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [“Americans may say they love our accents (I have been accused of sounding 'like Princess Di') but the more thoughtful ones resent and rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hitchens/americans-may-say-they-love-our-accents-i-have-been-accused-of/) [Peter Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hitchens/) > [As a child I loved to be in the kitchen with my mum and aunties, eavesdropping on the adults.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-galetti/as-a-child-i-loved-to-be-in-the-kitchen-with-my-mum-and-aunties/) [Monica Galetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-galetti/) > [“I especially like eavesdropping on women my age. Besides being titillating, it also helps me gauge where I'm at in comparison.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/i-especially-like-eavesdropping-on-women-my-age-besides-being/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) > [“Why did people do it? Why this herd curiosity about a street, a house, windows, doors? He was a public servant, the Inspector mused,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellery-queen/why-did-people-do-it-why-this-herd-curiosity-about-a-street-a-house/) [Ellery Queen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellery-queen/) > [“A place has a curious quality when you have only a partial understanding of its language, and in those early months the sensation was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-kitamura/a-place-has-a-curious-quality-when-you-have-only-a-partial/) [Katie Kitamura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-kitamura/) > [“He spoke to old friends in other departments, and listened to the "porcelain gossip" in the senior-officer toilets.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-matthews/he-spoke-to-old-friends-in-other-departments-and-listened-to-the/) [Jason Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-matthews/) > [“The orchestral music is glorious but I wish they'd stop playing for a minute: it's very hard to eavesdrop properly over a grand piano…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-smale/the-orchestral-music-is-glorious-but-i-wish-they-d-stop-playing-for-a/) [Holly Smale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-smale/) > [If you're like me and nosy, you're always eavesdropping on other people's conversations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lapine/if-you-re-like-me-and-nosy-you-re-always-eavesdropping-on-other/) [James Lapine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lapine/) > [Listeners ne'er hear good of themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ray/listeners-ne-er-hear-good-of-themselves/) [John Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ray/) [Browse all 80 Eavesdropping quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eavesdropping/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“She had become really quite expert, she thought, at listening as though she didn't listen, at sitting in other people's lives just for a minute while they talked round her.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Katherine Mansfield" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-mansfield/she-had-become-really-quite-expert-she-thought-at-listening-as-though/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Eavesdropping" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-mansfield/she-had-become-really-quite-expert-she-thought-at-listening-as-though/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69e/katherine-mansfield-1781_eavesdropping_she-had-become-really-quite-expert-she-t_1518329.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69e/katherine-mansfield-1781_eavesdropping_she-had-become-really-quite-expert-she-t_1518329.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69e/katherine-mansfield-1781_eavesdropping_she-had-become-really-quite-expert-she-t_1518329.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“She had become really quite expert, she thought, at listening as though she didn't listen, at sitting in…” — Katherine Mansfield", "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": "Katherine Mansfield", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-mansfield/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“She had become really quite expert,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-mansfield/she-had-become-really-quite-expert-she-thought-at-listening-as-though/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-mansfield/she-had-become-really-quite-expert-she-thought-at-listening-as-though/#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 } } ] } ```