--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The telegram was sealed – an…" description: "\"“The telegram was sealed – an old-fashioned touch, I thought, but then I’d never had a telegram before. I took my time opening it. I said nothing.”\" — ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f4/michael-wyndham-thomas-62646_betrayal_the-telegram-was-sealed-an-old-fashioned_741344.jpg" --- # The telegram was sealed – an old-fashioned touch, I… ![“The telegram was sealed – an old-fashioned touch, I thought, but then I’d never had a telegram before. I took my time opening it. I said nothing.” quote by Michael Wyndham Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f4/michael-wyndham-thomas-62646_betrayal_the-telegram-was-sealed-an-old-fashioned_741344.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f4/michael-wyndham-thomas-62646_betrayal_the-telegram-was-sealed-an-old-fashioned_741344.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f4/michael-wyndham-thomas-62646_betrayal_the-telegram-was-sealed-an-old-fashioned_741344.jpg) > ““The telegram was sealed – an old-fashioned touch, I thought, but then I’d never had a telegram before. I took my time opening it. I said nothing.”” [Michael Wyndham Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wyndham-thomas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator reflects on an unfamiliar, nostalgic act, highlighting hesitation and silence in the face of new experiences. **In simple terms:** He feels uneasy about an old-fashioned telegram and stays silent. Key Takeaway Embrace curiosity, speak up when faced with the unfamiliar. Themes nostalgia communication hesitation Mood reflective thoughtful Type personal observational When to use this quote - first day at a new job - receiving unexpected news - interacting with strangers - dealing with bureaucracy Key Concepts social anxiety rituals modernity Questions to Reflect On - What would you say if you weren’t afraid? - How does nostalgia affect your reactions? A Different Perspective Silence can prevent understanding or connection. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Betrayal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/betrayal/) [Climatic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climatic/) [Fiction-novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction-novel/) [Hardship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hardship/) [Investigation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investigation/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Paranormal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paranormal/) [Revenge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revenge/) [Sadness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sadness/) [Sealed Old](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sealed-old-5787629/) [Telegram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/telegram/) [Telegram Sealed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/telegram-sealed-5787626/) [Telegram Took](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/telegram-took-5787627/) [Tense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tense/) [Thought Telegram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-telegram-5787628/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“Whenever I don't state the climatic conditions, read "raining.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bairnsfather/whenever-i-don-t-state-the-climatic-conditions-read-raining/) [Bruce Bairnsfather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bairnsfather/) > [I personally believe that the solar flares are more responsible for climatic cycles than anything that human beings do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-sensenbrenner/i-personally-believe-that-the-solar-flares-are-more-responsible-for/) [Jim Sensenbrenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-sensenbrenner/) > [I would be absolutely astounded if population growth and industrialisation and all the stuff we are pumping into the atmosphere hadn't changed the climatic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-attenborough/i-would-be-absolutely-astounded-if-population-growth-and/) [David Attenborough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-attenborough/) > [There are a number of causes of climatic change, and until all causes other than carbon dioxide increase are ruled out, we cannot attribute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-bryson/there-are-a-number-of-causes-of-climatic-change-and-until-all-causes/) [Reid Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-bryson/) > [The dramatic importance of climate changes to the world’s future has been dangerously underestimated by many, often because we have been lulled by modern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-schneider/the-dramatic-importance-of-climate-changes-to-the-world-s-future-has/) [Stephen Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-schneider/) > [The important point there is that when people talk about a mean temperature rise of say two, three or four degrees that's a sort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/the-important-point-there-is-that-when-people-talk-about-a-mean/) [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) > [Humans remain entirely atmosphere dependent, so there is no choice but to respond to extreme climatic behaviour and its many effects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-garrett/humans-remain-entirely-atmosphere-dependent-so-there-is-no-choice-but/) [Peter Garrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-garrett/) > [Curiously enough man's body and his mind appear to differ in their climatic adaptations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellsworth-huntington/curiously-enough-man-s-body-and-his-mind-appear-to-differ-in-their/) [Ellsworth Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellsworth-huntington/) > [“11. All products should be of a high quality and take account of the climatic and storage conditions of the country where they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-palmer/11-all-products-should-be-of-a-high-quality-and-take-account-of-the/) [Gabrielle Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-palmer/) > [The climatic world is one world even if politically we are not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-bryson/the-climatic-world-is-one-world-even-if-politically-we-are-not/) [Reid Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-bryson/) > [“The most urgent challenge of present civilization is to understand that the drying out of landscapes has a much more serious impact on climatic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-d-schwartz/the-most-urgent-challenge-of-present-civilization-is-to-understand/) [Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) > [“The Alchemy Scroll works on the heart,” he said. “It plants words as I plant stones. The Scroll-maker is my brother. He paints the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-rowland/the-alchemy-scroll-works-on-the-heart-he-said-it-plants-words-as-i/) [Susan Rowland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-rowland/) > [I'm very interested in buildings that adapt to changes in climatic conditions according to the seasons, buildings capable of responding to our physical and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-murcutt/i-m-very-interested-in-buildings-that-adapt-to-changes-in-climatic/) [Glenn Murcutt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-murcutt/) > [The fear of climatic catastrophes is an ancient one and not unlike our fear of strangers. In the past, people believed that the climate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-von-storch/the-fear-of-climatic-catastrophes-is-an-ancient-one-and-not-unlike/) [Hans von Storch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-von-storch/) > [I think that climatic changes have a natural causes according many geological data... I am very glad to sign the U.S. Senate's report of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uberto-crescenti/i-think-that-climatic-changes-have-a-natural-causes-according-many/) [Uberto Crescenti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uberto-crescenti/) ## More by Michael Wyndham Thomas > [“As I reached the door, the constable said, “Good luck in Canada, son.” For a second I expected his voice to morph into Uncle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wyndham-thomas/as-i-reached-the-door-the-constable-said-good-luck-in-canada-son-for/) [Michael Wyndham Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wyndham-thomas/) > [“Often I felt like two people. One went into the world and did the living for the other, who was stuck in an endless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wyndham-thomas/often-i-felt-like-two-people-one-went-into-the-world-and-did-the/) [Michael Wyndham Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wyndham-thomas/) > [“After that, nothing was the same. The very notion of my having a family turned vague, hard to credit, even weirdly jokey.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wyndham-thomas/after-that-nothing-was-the-same-the-very-notion-of-my-having-a-family/) [Michael Wyndham Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wyndham-thomas/) > [“Next morning, we drank endless cups of coffee in the airport restaurant…Suddenly wide-eyed, she stared past me: “Good grief, some of the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wyndham-thomas/next-morning-we-drank-endless-cups-of-coffee-in-the-airport/) [Michael Wyndham Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wyndham-thomas/) [Explore all 5 Michael Wyndham Thomas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wyndham-thomas/) ## More Betrayal quotes > [“That's the catch about betrayal, of course: that it feels good, that there's something immensely pleasurable about moving from a complicated relationship which involves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/that-s-the-catch-about-betrayal-of-course-that-it-feels-good-that/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [God’s faithfulness is stronger than our unfaithfulness and our infidelities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/god-s-faithfulness-is-stronger-than-our-unfaithfulness-and-our/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [“Flattery looks like friendship, just like a wolf looks like a dog.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-auliq-ice/flattery-looks-like-friendship-just-like-a-wolf-looks-like-a-dog/) [Oscar Auliq-Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-auliq-ice/) > [There is no deceit in death. It delivers precisely what it has promised. Betrayal, though ... betrayal is the willful slaughter of hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/km-ii/there-is-no-deceit-in-death-it-delivers-precisely-what-it-has/) [KM II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/km-ii/) > [If you leave someone for another person, don't be surprised if that person leaves you for someone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-leave-someone-for-another-person-don-t-be-surprised-if-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“As they say in New York, Get over it and, if you can't get over it, Get over talking about it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-keyes/as-they-say-in-new-york-get-over-it-and-if-you-can-t-get-over-it-get/) [Marian Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-keyes/) > [“He returned her gaze, yearning for sentimental solace; love which emanated from a familiar source, mattered little how bedevilling. They shared an intimate moment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-h-septimius/he-returned-her-gaze-yearning-for-sentimental-solace-love-which/) [A. H. Septimius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-h-septimius/) > [I was always here for you,you knew you could count on me and trust me blindly, and you knew that I would never tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hayssus/i-was-always-here-for-you-you-knew-you-could-count-on-me-and-trust-me/) [Michael Hayssus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hayssus/) > [Joy doesn't betray but sustains activism. And when you face a politics that aspires to make you fearful, alienated and isolated, joy is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/joy-doesn-t-betray-but-sustains-activism-and-when-you-face-a-politics/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [“Betrayal and love are not mutually exclusive." (Mordred)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-mercer/betrayal-and-love-are-not-mutually-exclusive-mordred/) [Aldous Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-mercer/) > [Love comes exactly... To those who still hope, even though they've been disappointed. To those who still believe, even though they've been betrayed and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mizhan/love-comes-exactly-to-those-who-still-hope-even-though-they-ve-been/) [Mizhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mizhan/) > [For some people, a one-night stand doesn't make any difference in a seven-year love affair. I don't believe the degree of betrayal is always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-perel/for-some-people-a-one-night-stand-doesn-t-make-any-difference-in-a/) [Esther Perel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-perel/) > [Betrayal is a serious thing in this world,you know what else is serious? Being lied to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina/betrayal-is-a-serious-thing-in-this-world-you-know-what-else-is/) [Sabrina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina/) > [The greatest temptation for the like of us is: to renounce violence, to repent, to make peace with oneself. Most revolutionaries fell before this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-greatest-temptation-for-the-like-of-us-is-to-renounce-violence-to/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [“Sarai, you never know who might betray you until it’s too late.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-a-redmerski/sarai-you-never-know-who-might-betray-you-until-it-s-too-late/) [J.A. Redmerski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-a-redmerski/) [Browse all 2,050 Betrayal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/betrayal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The telegram was sealed – an old-fashioned touch, I thought, but then I’d never had a telegram before. I took my time opening it. I said nothing.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Wyndham Thomas" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wyndham-thomas/the-telegram-was-sealed-an-old-fashioned-touch-i-thought-but-then-i-d/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Betrayal" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wyndham-thomas/the-telegram-was-sealed-an-old-fashioned-touch-i-thought-but-then-i-d/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f4/michael-wyndham-thomas-62646_betrayal_the-telegram-was-sealed-an-old-fashioned_741344.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f4/michael-wyndham-thomas-62646_betrayal_the-telegram-was-sealed-an-old-fashioned_741344.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f4/michael-wyndham-thomas-62646_betrayal_the-telegram-was-sealed-an-old-fashioned_741344.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The telegram was sealed – an old-fashioned touch, I thought, but then I’d never had a telegram before. I…” — Michael Wyndham Thomas", "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": "Michael Wyndham Thomas", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wyndham-thomas/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The telegram was sealed – an...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wyndham-thomas/the-telegram-was-sealed-an-old-fashioned-touch-i-thought-but-then-i-d/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wyndham-thomas/the-telegram-was-sealed-an-old-fashioned-touch-i-thought-but-then-i-d/#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 } } ] } ```