--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But not only didn’t he read, he didn’t…" description: "\"“But not only didn’t he read, he didn’t listen. He preferred to be the person talking. And he trusted his own expertise—no matter how paltry or irrelev..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/943/michael-wolff-423_attention-span_but-not-only-didn-t-he-read-he-didn-t-li_900752.jpg" --- # But not only didn’t he read, he didn’t listen. He… ![“But not only didn’t he read, he didn’t listen. He preferred to be the person talking. And he trusted his own expertise—no matter how paltry or irrelevant—more than anyone else’s. What’s more, he had an extremely short attention span, even when he thought you were worthy of attention” quote by Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/943/michael-wolff-423_attention-span_but-not-only-didn-t-he-read-he-didn-t-li_900752.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/943/michael-wolff-423_attention-span_but-not-only-didn-t-he-read-he-didn-t-li_900752.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/943/michael-wolff-423_attention-span_but-not-only-didn-t-he-read-he-didn-t-li_900752.jpg) > ““But not only didn’t he read, he didn’t listen. He preferred to be the person talking. And he trusted his own expertise—no matter how paltry or irrelevant—more than anyone else’s. What’s more, he had an extremely short attention span, even when he thought you were worthy of attention”” [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A person who avoids listening and reading, preferring to dominate conversation, overvalues his own shallow expertise and has a brief attention span. **In simple terms:** He talks, doesn’t listen, trusts his limited knowledge. Key Takeaway Beware of overconfidence and poor listening. Themes communication confidence attention expertise Mood critical reflective Type advice observational When to use this quote - team meetings - leadership - education - media interviews Key Concepts ego cognitive bias information overload Questions to Reflect On - Do you prioritize listening over speaking? - How does overconfidence affect decision making? A Different Perspective His narrow focus can cause missed insights and errors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attention span](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention-span/) ## Related quotes > [“Trump didn’t read. He didn’t really even skim. If it was print, it might as well not exist. Some believed that for all practical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/trump-didn-t-read-he-didn-t-really-even-skim-if-it-was-print-it-might-3/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [“Trump didn’t read. He didn’t really even skim. If it was print, it might as well not exist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/trump-didn-t-read-he-didn-t-really-even-skim-if-it-was-print-it-might-2/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [“Trump didn't read. He didn't really even skim. If it was print, it might as well not exist...He was postliterate -- total television.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/trump-didn-t-read-he-didn-t-really-even-skim-if-it-was-print-it-might/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [“Trump didn’t read. He didn’t really even skim. If it was print, it might as well not exist. Some believed that for all practical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/trump-didn-t-read-he-didn-t-really-even-skim-if-it-was-print-it-might-4/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [I have a very short attention span, so sitting down with a book is very difficult for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomi-lahren/i-have-a-very-short-attention-span-so-sitting-down-with-a-book-is/) [Tomi Lahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomi-lahren/) > [I have a very short attention span.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/i-have-a-very-short-attention-span/) [Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/) > [I didn't care for beat reporting, covering the same thing day after day - short attention span.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-portis/i-didn-t-care-for-beat-reporting-covering-the-same-thing-day-after/) [Charles Portis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-portis/) > [The ultimate pitch for an era of short attention spans begins with a single word - and doesn't go any further.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-h-pink/the-ultimate-pitch-for-an-era-of-short-attention-spans-begins-with-a/) [Daniel H. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-h-pink/) > [Land of snap decisions, land of short attention spans, nothing is savored long enough to really understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/land-of-snap-decisions-land-of-short-attention-spans-nothing-is/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [My short attention span has allowed me a life of diversity in work and place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maira-kalman/my-short-attention-span-has-allowed-me-a-life-of-diversity-in-work/) [Maira Kalman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maira-kalman/) > [I don't like reading scripts because I'm everywhere, and I have such a short attention span.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-bynes/i-don-t-like-reading-scripts-because-i-m-everywhere-and-i-have-such-a/) [Amanda Bynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-bynes/) > [I think, first of all, you know, Washington has a bad habit of a very short attention span.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-mccaskill/i-think-first-of-all-you-know-washington-has-a-bad-habit-of-a-very/) [Claire McCaskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-mccaskill/) > [“Daemon had not stayed. My smile slipped from my face. He was standing by the window, his back to me. “I got bored.” “I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-armentrout/daemon-had-not-stayed-my-smile-slipped-from-my-face-he-was-standing/) [Jennifer L. Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-armentrout/) > [I sometimes worry about my short attention span, but not for long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/i-sometimes-worry-about-my-short-attention-span-but-not-for-long/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) > [One of the great things about being an actor is it serves a short attention span, which is something I have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-mack/one-of-the-great-things-about-being-an-actor-is-it-serves-a-short/) [Allison Mack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-mack/) ## More by Michael Wolff > [Donald Trump doesn't necessarily stay mad for very long. He's a transactional guy. If you can offer him something, he will take it. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/donald-trump-doesn-t-necessarily-stay-mad-for-very-long-he-s-a/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [“he could yet make a case for a straight line from Nixon to Trump.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/he-could-yet-make-a-case-for-a-straight-line-from-nixon-to-trump/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [“it confirmed Bannon’s worst fear: Trump, in his true heart, was a marshmallow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/it-confirmed-bannon-s-worst-fear-trump-in-his-true-heart-was-a/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [“An important aspect of Kaplan’s New York Observer and its self-conscious inside media baseball was that the paper became the prime school for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/an-important-aspect-of-kaplan-s-new-york-observer-and-its-self/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [“The candidate who billed himself as a billionaire—ten times over—refused even to invest his own money in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/the-candidate-who-billed-himself-as-a-billionaire-ten-times-over/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [If institutions don't grow, they... well, I don't know what happens to them, because they always grow. I suppose the point is that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/if-institutions-don-t-grow-they-well-i-don-t-know-what-happens-to/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [“Even though Trump liked to portray his business as an empire, it was actually a discrete holding company and boutique enterprise,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/even-though-trump-liked-to-portray-his-business-as-an-empire-it-was/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [“the organizational premise of the Trump White House: the family would always prevail.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/the-organizational-premise-of-the-trump-white-house-the-family-would/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [“Trump, who referred to the Chinese leader as “Mr. X-i”; the president was told to think of him as a woman and call him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/trump-who-referred-to-the-chinese-leader-as-mr-x-i-the-president-was/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [“Donald Trump, even more than his father, was perceived as a vulgarian—after all, he put his name on his buildings, quite a déclassé thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/donald-trump-even-more-than-his-father-was-perceived-as-a-vulgarian/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [“The index that appeared in the print version of this title does not match the pages in your e-book. Please use the search function…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/the-index-that-appeared-in-the-print-version-of-this-title-does-not/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [“Trump liked to say that one of the things that made life worth living was getting your friends’ wives into bed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/trump-liked-to-say-that-one-of-the-things-that-made-life-worth-living/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [“The kids”—Jared and Ivanka—exhibited an increasingly panicked sense that the FBI and DOJ were moving beyond Russian election interference and into family finances. “Ivanka…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/the-kids-jared-and-ivanka-exhibited-an-increasingly-panicked-sense/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [I am old enough to think the word 'journalist' is not all that noble a designation. Journalist - that record keeper, quote taker and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/i-am-old-enough-to-think-the-word-journalist-is-not-all-that-noble-a/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [“Politics had seemed to become, even well before the age of Trump, a mortal affair. It was now zero-sum: When one side profited, another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/politics-had-seemed-to-become-even-well-before-the-age-of-trump-a/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) [Explore all 570 Michael Wolff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) ## More Attention span quotes > [One of the great things about being an actor is it serves a short attention span, which is something I have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-mack/one-of-the-great-things-about-being-an-actor-is-it-serves-a-short/) [Allison Mack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-mack/) > [“I have been so struck by the mettle of the men who founded this country and wrote the Constitution. What unbelievable persistence and integrity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosanne-cash/i-have-been-so-struck-by-the-mettle-of-the-men-who-founded-this/) [Rosanne Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosanne-cash/) > [College wasn't for us. We just didn't have the attention span.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brie-bella/college-wasn-t-for-us-we-just-didn-t-have-the-attention-span/) [Brie Bella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brie-bella/) > [I sometimes worry about my short attention span, but not for long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/i-sometimes-worry-about-my-short-attention-span-but-not-for-long/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) > [It's a double-headed coin, because technology is a convenience but it's stifled our attention spans. At one time, albums had songs that were like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cee-lo-green/it-s-a-double-headed-coin-because-technology-is-a-convenience-but-it/) [Cee Lo Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cee-lo-green/) > [“Daemon had not stayed. My smile slipped from my face. He was standing by the window, his back to me. “I got bored.” “I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-armentrout/daemon-had-not-stayed-my-smile-slipped-from-my-face-he-was-standing/) [Jennifer L. Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-armentrout/) > [There will be a competition among critics for the best Paris Hilton insult. Here's my first: Her attention span is so short that she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-edelstein/there-will-be-a-competition-among-critics-for-the-best-paris-hilton/) [David Edelstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-edelstein/) > [Twenty20 is cricket on speed. In an era of hectic lifestyles and falling attention spans, it gives spectators more drama and intensity in three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikas-swarup/twenty20-is-cricket-on-speed-in-an-era-of-hectic-lifestyles-and/) [Vikas Swarup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikas-swarup/) > [For years, particularly with the advent of the Internet, people have been griping about lessening attention spans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-spacey/for-years-particularly-with-the-advent-of-the-internet-people-have/) [Kevin Spacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-spacey/) > [People have an infinite attention span if you are entertaining them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/people-have-an-infinite-attention-span-if-you-are-entertaining-them/) [Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/) > [I didn't really want to be an actor when I was growing up - I wanted to be whatever I was reading about or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-sudeikis/i-didn-t-really-want-to-be-an-actor-when-i-was-growing-up-i-wanted-to/) [Jason Sudeikis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-sudeikis/) > [Now, for my younger viewers out there, a book is something we used to have before the internet. It’s sort of a blog for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/now-for-my-younger-viewers-out-there-a-book-is-something-we-used-to/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [“How in the world did they just jump from politics, to a ball, and now to daimon attacks? And here I’d thought I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-armentrout/how-in-the-world-did-they-just-jump-from-politics-to-a-ball-and-now/) [Jennifer L. Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-armentrout/) > [You don’t pay attention man/that’s why your money is the size of your attention span.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-dilla/you-don-t-pay-attention-man-that-s-why-your-money-is-the-size-of-your/) [J Dilla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-dilla/) > [I think, first of all, you know, Washington has a bad habit of a very short attention span.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-mccaskill/i-think-first-of-all-you-know-washington-has-a-bad-habit-of-a-very/) [Claire McCaskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-mccaskill/) [Browse all 298 Attention span quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention-span/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But not only didn’t he read, he didn’t listen. He preferred to be the person talking. And he trusted his own expertise—no matter how paltry or irrelevant—more than anyone else’s. 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