---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People who are skilled at dialogue do…"
description: "\"“People who are skilled at dialogue do their best to make it safe for everyone to add their meaning to the shared pool--even ideas that at first glance..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab3/kerry-patterson-29360_communication_people-who-are-skilled-at-dialogue-do-th_3108455.jpg"
---

#  People who are skilled at dialogue do their best to make…

![“People who are skilled at dialogue do their best to make it safe for everyone to add their meaning to the shared pool--even ideas that at first glance appear controversial, wrong, or at odds with their own beliefs. Now, obviously they don't agree with every idea; they simply do their best to…” quote by Kerry Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab3/kerry-patterson-29360_communication_people-who-are-skilled-at-dialogue-do-th_3108455.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab3/kerry-patterson-29360_communication_people-who-are-skilled-at-dialogue-do-th_3108455.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab3/kerry-patterson-29360_communication_people-who-are-skilled-at-dialogue-do-th_3108455.jpg)

> ““People who are skilled at dialogue do their best to make it safe for everyone to add their meaning to the shared pool--even ideas that at first glance appear controversial, wrong, or at odds with their own beliefs. Now, obviously they don't agree with every idea; they simply do their best to ensure that all ideas find their way into the open.””

[Kerry Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-patterson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Effective dialogue creators a safe space for all ideas, even controversial ones, without agreeing to everything.

**In simple terms:** Good talk lets all voices be heard safely.

Key Takeaway

Foster inclusive, respectful conversations

Themes

communication leadership conflict resolution

Mood

thoughtful encouraging

Type

instructional inspirational

When to use this quote

- team meetings
- public debates
- brainstorming sessions

Key Concepts

psychological listening psych safety

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance safety with honest critique?
- What practices keep discussions constructive?

A Different Perspective

Ensuring safety can be difficult when ideas clash strongly

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/)

## Related quotes

> [“In a democratic system, the medium of dialogue is the best medium for not allowing the debate to become a dispute.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramnath-kovind/in-a-democratic-system-the-medium-of-dialogue-is-the-best-medium-for/)

Ramnath Kovind

> [English dialogue is the best in the world. So dry and direct. The Italian language is beautiful, but it is too literary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernardo-bertolucci/english-dialogue-is-the-best-in-the-world-so-dry-and-direct-the/)

[Bernardo Bertolucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernardo-bertolucci/)

> [Dialogue is not always the best way to show emotion, to show your thought process, or to reveal yourself, as a character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/dialogue-is-not-always-the-best-way-to-show-emotion-to-show-your/)

[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

> [“- Mom, can I tell them there that I'm Romanian? - Sure, why not tell them? - I was thinking that they wouldn't think...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-enescu/mom-can-i-tell-them-there-that-i-m-romanian-sure-why-not-tell-them-i/)

George Enescu

> [It's true that PC culture has created very little honest dialogue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sho-baraka/it-s-true-that-pc-culture-has-created-very-little-honest-dialogue/)

[Sho Baraka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sho-baraka/)

> [As I get older and I get more of this dialogue and I lose more and more brain cells, it really does become the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-spiner/as-i-get-older-and-i-get-more-of-this-dialogue-and-i-lose-more-and/)

[Brent Spiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-spiner/)

> [I thought that the world was a vast system of signs, a conversation between giant beings. My actions, the cricket's saw, the star's blink,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/i-thought-that-the-world-was-a-vast-system-of-signs-a-conversation/)

[Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/)

> [“Free Flowing Dialogue “Have you ever been engaged in a conversation which was so dynamic that you were both firing on all cylinders, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/free-flowing-dialogue-have-you-ever-been-engaged-in-a-conversation/)

[Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/)

> [ “\[A\]lways get to the dialogue as soon as possible. I always feel the thing to go for is speed. Nothing puts the reader off… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/a-lways-get-to-the-dialogue-as-soon-as-possible-i-always-feel-the/)

[P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/)

> [I think the biggest problem working with me would be that I'm an only child, and so I have an internal dialogue that goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-think-the-biggest-problem-working-with-me-would-be-that-i-m-an-only/)

[Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/)

> [Dialogue and education for peace can help free our hearts from the impulse toward intolerance and the rejection of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisaku-ikeda/dialogue-and-education-for-peace-can-help-free-our-hearts-from-the/)

[Daisaku Ikeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisaku-ikeda/)

> [It is proposed that a form of free dialogue may well be one of the most effective ways of investigating the crisis which faces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bohm/it-is-proposed-that-a-form-of-free-dialogue-may-well-be-one-of-the/)

[David Bohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bohm/)

> [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/)

> [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/)

> [“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/)

## More by Kerry Patterson

> [“People who are gifted at dialogue keep a constant vigil on safety. They pay attention to the content—that’s a given—and they watch for signs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-patterson/people-who-are-gifted-at-dialogue-keep-a-constant-vigil-on-safety/)

[Kerry Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-patterson/)

> [“consequence of the original act and helps unbundle the problem.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-patterson/consequence-of-the-original-act-and-helps-unbundle-the-problem/)

[Kerry Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-patterson/)

> [“Methods include cutting others off, overstating your facts, speaking in absolutes, changing subjects, or using directive questions to control the conversation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-patterson/methods-include-cutting-others-off-overstating-your-facts-speaking-in/)

[Kerry Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-patterson/)

> [“The Pool of Shared Meaning is the birthplace of synergy”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-patterson/the-pool-of-shared-meaning-is-the-birthplace-of-synergy/)

[Kerry Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-patterson/)

> [“Maybe we honor the abusive style of so many coaches and other public figures because their public actions lend credibility to our own private…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-patterson/maybe-we-honor-the-abusive-style-of-so-many-coaches-and-other-public/)

[Kerry Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-patterson/)

> [“Remember, to know and not to do is really not to know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-patterson/remember-to-know-and-not-to-do-is-really-not-to-know/)

[Kerry Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-patterson/)

> [“For example, obesity costs the average person an extra $1,429 per year in increased health care costs. But since we’re not required to set…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-patterson/for-example-obesity-costs-the-average-person-an-extra-1-429-per-year/)

[Kerry Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-patterson/)

> [“If the story is unflattering and the feeling is anger, adrenaline kicks in. Under the influence of adrenaline, blood leaves our brains to help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-patterson/if-the-story-is-unflattering-and-the-feeling-is-anger-adrenaline/)

[Kerry Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-patterson/)

> [“Second, clarify what you really don't want. This is the key to framing the and question. Think of what you are afraid will happen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-patterson/second-clarify-what-you-really-don-t-want-this-is-the-key-to-framing/)

[Kerry Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-patterson/)

> [“We’re asking you to recode silence and violence as signs that people are feeling unsafe. We’re asking you to fight your natural tendency to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-patterson/we-re-asking-you-to-recode-silence-and-violence-as-signs-that-people/)

[Kerry Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-patterson/)

> [“Let’s say that your significant other has been paying less and less attention to you. You realize he or she has a busy job,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-patterson/let-s-say-that-your-significant-other-has-been-paying-less-and-less/)

[Kerry Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-patterson/)

> [“The average human being is actually quite bad at predicting what he or she should do in order to be happier, and this inability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-patterson/the-average-human-being-is-actually-quite-bad-at-predicting-what-he/)

[Kerry Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-patterson/)

> [“When under attack, our heart can take a similarly sudden and unconscious turn. When faced with pressure and strong opinions, we often stop worrying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-patterson/when-under-attack-our-heart-can-take-a-similarly-sudden-and/)

[Kerry Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-patterson/)

> [“What do I really want for myself? What do I really want for others? What do I really want for the relationship? Once you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-patterson/what-do-i-really-want-for-myself-what-do-i-really-want-for-others/)

[Kerry Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-patterson/)

> [“It’s the most talented, not the least talented, who are continually trying to improve their dialogue skills. As is often the case, the rich…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-patterson/it-s-the-most-talented-not-the-least-talented-who-are-continually/)

[Kerry Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-patterson/)

[Explore all 18 Kerry Patterson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-patterson/)

## 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. I've been in a public bathroom and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-reddy/i-ve-been-in-a-serious-conversation-with-one-of-my-children-and-a-fan/)

[Helen Reddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-reddy/)

> [Life as we know it is fundamentally unsatisfying. I think most folks feel this to be true. They know that a life of aimless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-yates/life-as-we-know-it-is-fundamentally-unsatisfying-i-think-most-folks/)

[Michael Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-yates/)

> [Disability, in general, hasn't been included in the conversation about inclusivity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-winston-george/disability-in-general-hasn-t-been-included-in-the-conversation-about/)

[Jason Winston George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-winston-george/)

> [“Women will be at least 50 percent of the communications community workforce … from executive suite to interns. Why? The “integrated” agency will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoram-wind/women-will-be-at-least-50-percent-of-the-communications-community/)

Yoram Wind

> [There are certain things you must not say in spite of the fact that supposedly democracy means free speech. No. You are not allowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-eubank-sr/there-are-certain-things-you-must-not-say-in-spite-of-the-fact-that/)

[Chris Eubank Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-eubank-sr/)

[Browse all 21,506 Communication quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“People who are skilled at dialogue do their best to make it safe for everyone to add their meaning to the shared pool--even ideas that at first glance appear controversial, wrong, or at odds with their own beliefs. Now, obviously they don't agree with every idea; they simply do their best to ensure that all ideas find their way into the open.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Kerry Patterson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-patterson/people-who-are-skilled-at-dialogue-do-their-best-to-make-it-safe-for/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Communication"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-patterson/people-who-are-skilled-at-dialogue-do-their-best-to-make-it-safe-for/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab3/kerry-patterson-29360_communication_people-who-are-skilled-at-dialogue-do-th_3108455.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab3/kerry-patterson-29360_communication_people-who-are-skilled-at-dialogue-do-th_3108455.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab3/kerry-patterson-29360_communication_people-who-are-skilled-at-dialogue-do-th_3108455.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“People who are skilled at dialogue do their best to make it safe for everyone to add their meaning to the…” — Kerry Patterson",
                "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": "Kerry Patterson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-patterson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“People who are skilled at dialogue...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-patterson/people-who-are-skilled-at-dialogue-do-their-best-to-make-it-safe-for/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-patterson/people-who-are-skilled-at-dialogue-do-their-best-to-make-it-safe-for/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
